: an occurrence or phenomenon (see phenomenon sense 1) believed to portend a future event : augury
The dark clouds were considered a bad omen.

Examples of omen in a Sentence

They regarded the win as a good omen for the team. omens of things to come
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump has had experience with the omens special elections can carry. Susan Page, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025 In a further good omen for Cleveland, the Celtics went on to win the title that year. Matias Grez, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025 History suggests multiple delays can be a bad omen for video games, but that’s not always the case. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025 The phrase comes from a book written by a pastor, who claimed that beginning in April 2014, a series of four consecutive lunar eclipses — all coinciding with Jewish holidays, with six full moons in between and no intervening partial lunar eclipses — was an omen of the end times. Joe Rao, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for omen

Word History

Etymology

Latin omin-, omen

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of omen was in 1582

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Omen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omen. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

omen

noun
: a happening believed to be a sign or warning of some future event

More from Merriam-Webster on omen

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