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oracular

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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From Middle French oraculaire.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ɒɹˈæk.juː.lə/, /ɔːˈɹæk.juː.lə/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ɔˈɹæk.ju.lɚ/, /ɔˈɹæk.jə.lɚ/

Adjective

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oracular

  1. Of or relating to an oracle.
    • 1810, Walter Scott, “(please specify the canto number or page)”, in The Lady of the Lake; [], Edinburgh: [] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, →OCLC, (please specify the stanza number):
      In some of the Hebrides they attributed the same oracular power to a large black stone by the sea-shore, which they approached with certain solemnities, and considered the first fancy which came into their own minds, after they did so, to be the undoubted dictate of the tutelar deity of the stone, and, as such, to be, if possible, punctually complied with.
    • 2006, Lisa Hill, The Passionate Society: the social, political and moral thought of Adam Ferguson[1]:
      Ferguson's sin consisted in his oracular 'unmasking' of a 'second-rate sort of society, full of second rate citizens, pursuing comparatively worthless objects.'
  2. Prophetic, foretelling the future.
    • 1819 (date written), Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Masque of Anarchy. A Poem. [], London: Edward Moxon [], published 1832, →OCLC:
      And that slaughter to the Nation / Shall steam up like inspiration, / Eloquent, oracular; / A volcano heard afar.
    • 1963, “Chapter 26”, in Joseph Hitrec, transl., Bosnian Chronicle, New York: Arcade, translation of original by Ivo Andrić, published 1993, page 402:
      It was one of those dire oracular pronouncements that Marko made from time to time, which were afterwards spread from mouth to mouth among the Serbs.
  3. Wise, authoritative.
  4. Ambiguous, hard to interpret.
    • 1754, Horace Walpole, letter to John Chute:
      Nothing offended me but that lisping Miss Haughton, whose every speech is inarticulately oracular.
    • 1895, Andrew Dickson White, History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom:
      This utterance was admirably oracular, being susceptible of cogent quotation by both sides []
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Translations

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Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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oracular m or f (plural oraculares)

  1. (mysticism) oracular (of or relating to an oracle)
  2. oracular (prophetic; foretelling the future)

Romanian

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Etymology

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From oracul +‎ -ar.

Adjective

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oracular m or n (feminine singular oraculară, masculine plural oraculari, feminine and neuter plural oraculare)

  1. oracular

Declension

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singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative-
accusative
indefinite oracular oraculară oraculari oraculare
definite oracularul oraculara oracularii oracularele
genitive-
dative
indefinite oracular oraculare oraculari oraculare
definite oracularului oracularei oracularilor oracularelor

Spanish

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /oɾakuˈlaɾ/ [o.ɾa.kuˈlaɾ]
  • Rhymes: -aɾ
  • Syllabification: o‧ra‧cu‧lar

Adjective

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oracular m or f (masculine and feminine plural oraculares)

  1. oracular

Further reading

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