What does "oracle" mean?
A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
Oracle
/ˈɔɹəkəl/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
- Grammar: oracle is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: prophet, seer, diviner, soothsayer.
- Useful contrasts: doubter, mundane, nonreligious site.
- Usage evidence: It said "Oracle Master," so I thought it was something related to spirits, but no, it was only about computers. Boring.
How to use "oracle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "oracle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "oracle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "oracle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "oracle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "oracle" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "prophet" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "oracle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
"The oracles are dumb; / No voice or hideous hum / Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving."
- 2 a shrine where an oracular god is consulted wordnet
- 3 A person such as a priest through whom the deity is supposed to respond with prophecy or advice.
- 4 a prophecy (usually obscure or allegorical) revealed by a priest or priestess; believed to be infallible wordnet
- 5 A prophetic response, often enigmatic or allegorical, so given.
"The several oracles included in this haftarah presumably were uttered at different times to the people in exile, presenting diverse themes and using distinct styles."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 an authoritative person who divines the future wordnet
- 7 Something said that must come true or cannot be countermanded; an inexorable command or declaration. archaic, figuratively
"Fight all couragiouſly and be you kings, I ſpeake it, and my words are oracles."
- 8 A person considered to be a source of wisdom.
"a literary oracle"
- 9 A wise sentence or decision of great authority.
- 10 A fortune-teller.
""Madame de l'Hôpital has been quite la fée bienfaisante" said Lauzun, who, like others, had been consulting the oracle. "I am bewildered by my future good fortune. I quite anticipate being married, if it is to bring me all that she predicts.""
- 11 One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet.
"God hath now sent his living oracle / Into the world to teach his final will."
- 12 The sanctuary, or most holy place in the temple; also, the temple itself. Jewish, historical
"And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord."
- 13 A theoretical entity capable of answering some collection of questions.
"Thus, an oracle machine (which enacts an oracle algorithm) would be like an ordinary Turing machine, except that adjoined to its ordinary computational operations would be another operation: ‘Call in the oracle and ask it whether C_q(n) stops; […]"
- 14 A third-party service that provides smart contracts with information from the outside world.
"For example, an oracle may send temperature data reported by the National Weather Service or report the daily LIBOR rate to a smart contract."
Verb
- 1 To utter oracles or prophecies. obsolete
"But this thy glory shall be soon retrench'd; No more shalt thou by oracling abuse The Gentiles; henceforth Oracles are ceast"
Proper Noun
- 1 A database management system (and its associated software) developed by the Oracle Corporation
Example
"It said "Oracle Master," so I thought it was something related to spirits, but no, it was only about computers. Boring."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "oracle"?
Common synonyms include: prophet, seer, diviner, soothsayer, adage, advice.
How do you use "oracle" in a sentence?
It said "Oracle Master," so I thought it was something related to spirits, but no, it was only about computers. Boring.
How do you pronounce "oracle"?
Pronounced /ˈɔɹəkəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle m, from Latin ōrāculum n.