noun

oracle

OR-uh-kul/ˈɔːrəkl/

A sacred source through which people seek divine guidance.

Pilgrims consult the oracle before making important decisions about their future.

Villagers gather around a revered elder who calmly predicts a coming storm while others prepare shelters because they trust the elder's wisdom.

Etymology

The verb for praying or pleading underlies a word for a divine announcement. An oracle came to mean the medium delivering such answers, then more broadly a trusted source of wisdom or prediction.

In context

TED-Ed speaker0:24

Her husband, King Laius, had received a prophecy from Apollo's oracle

What really happened to Oedipus? - Stephen Esposito

Taylor Savage4:20

The oracle is the future seer, the thought leader, the visionary who can predict the technological forces that will shape our future world.

Taylor Savage: The Mythology of Silicon Valley

More examples

The king sends messengers to the oracle for divine guidance.
Travelers brought offerings to an oracle before their voyage.
Ancient oracles served as places to seek answers from the gods.

Forms

oracle · oracles

oracular adjective — Relating to or resembling an oracle.

Similar words

prophet: A person who delivers divine messages, rather than a sacred place.
medium: A person believed to communicate with spirits, not necessarily gods.