Sibylline

//ˈsɪbɪlaɪn// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    One of the Sibylline Oracles or Sibylline Books.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to or resembling a sibyl or female oracle, especially the Cumaean Sibyl and the Sibylline Books. not-comparable

    "Cleopatra immediately comes down to the chair of state; seizes Ptolemy and drags him out of his seat; then takes his place in the chair. Ftatateeta seats herself on the step of the loggia, and sits there, watching the scene with sybilline intensity."

  2. 2
    Of or pertaining to or resembling a sibyl or female oracle, especially the Cumaean Sibyl and the Sibylline Books.; Having oracle-like predicting powers, clairvoyant. broadly, not-comparable
  3. 3
    Of or pertaining to or resembling a sibyl or female oracle, especially the Cumaean Sibyl and the Sibylline Books.; Occult, mysterious. broadly, not-comparable
  4. 4
    Excessively and exorbitantly expensive. (In allusion to the Sibyl who sold three books to Tarquinius Superbus at the price of the original nine.) not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    having a secret or hidden meaning wordnet
  2. 2
    resembling or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
apocalypticcabalisticcrypticcrypticaldivinatorydivinatory

Example

More examples

"Cleopatra immediately comes down to the chair of state; seizes Ptolemy and drags him out of his seat; then takes his place in the chair. Ftatateeta seats herself on the step of the loggia, and sits there, watching the scene with sybilline intensity."

Etymology

From Latin sibyllinus, Sibillinus, from Sibylla.

Related phrases

Sibylline Oracles

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.