oracle

[ awr-uh-kuhl, or- ]

noun

1. (especially in ancient Greece) an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry.
2. the agency or medium giving such responses.
3. a shrine or place at which such responses were given:

   the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.

4. a person who delivers authoritative, wise, or highly regarded and influential pronouncements.
5. a divine communication or revelation.
6. any person or thing serving as an agency of divine communication.
7. any utterance made or received as authoritative, extremely wise, or infallible.
8. oracles, the Scriptures.
9. the holy of holies of the Biblical Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem.

oracle

/ ˈɒrəkəl /

noun

1. a prophecy, often obscure or allegorical, revealed through the medium of a priest or priestess at the shrine of a god
2. a shrine at which an oracular god is consulted
3. an agency through which a prophecy is transmitted
4. any person or thing believed to indicate future action with infallible authority
5. a statement believed to be infallible and authoritative
6. Bible
   1. a message from God
   2. the holy of holies in the Israelite temple

Word History and Origins

Origin of oracle¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ōrāculum, equivalent to ōrā(re) “to plead” + -culum diminutive noun suffix; oration, -cle ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of oracle¹

C14: via Old French from Latin ōrāculum, from ōrāre to request

Example Sentences

The contract, for cloud computing, was instead awarded to Microsoft, prompting a legal battle that ended in 2022, when the Defense Department announced that Amazon, Google and Oracle would also get a share.

From Salon

He moved to a software firm called Primavera which he helped build up, and made his first millions after it was sold to Oracle: he had taken an equity stake.

From BBC

It’s not that I am any kind of oracle.

From Los Angeles Times

But they also lead new professors to become glued to that position in the room, reifying the power imbalance that already exists: professor as oracle, center-front at the microphone.

From Slate

However, though Trump has raised money in the desert as recently as a high-dollar event at Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison’s Rancho Mirage estate in 2020, there have been no reports of fundraisers during the former president’s visit here this week.

From Los Angeles Times