auspicious
Americanadjective
-
promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable.
an auspicious occasion.
-
favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate.
adjective
-
favourable or propitious
-
archaic prosperous or fortunate
Usage
The use of auspicious to mean `very special' (as in this auspicious occasion ) should be avoided
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of auspicious
First recorded in 1600–10; equivalent to Latin auspici(um) auspice + -ous
Explanation
Use the adjective auspicious for a favorable situation or set of conditions. If you start a marathon by falling flat on your face, that's not an auspicious start. If something seems likely to bring success — either because it creates favorable conditions or you just consider it a lucky sign — label it auspicious. The word is related to auspice, "a divine omen," an old word with a colorful history. In Latin, an auspex was a person who observed the flight of birds to predict things about the future. Luckily, you no longer have to be a bird-watching fortune-teller to guess whether something is auspicious or not.
Vocabulary lists containing auspicious
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
To Kill a Mockingbird
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The celebrations began on 6 November with Dhanteras, when buying gold, silver or new utensils is considered auspicious and believed to bring good fortune.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The Las Vegas Grand Prix joined the F1 calendar in 2023 and didn't get off to an auspicious start.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Johnson is so concerned with conforming to the auspicious, nostalgic idea of who Bourdain was that he makes his biopic far too safe.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
I know many wondered in 1976 whether it was an auspicious time to become a priest, just as Mr. McGurn asks whether now is an auspicious time to be ordained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
One Associated Press camera team pressed against the back wall, trying—and failing—to stay out of everyone's way while recording the auspicious moment.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
