1
a
: a person (such as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak
the prophecies of the Delphic oracle—
D. F. Marks
D. F. Marks
b
: a shrine in which a deity reveals hidden knowledge or the divine purpose through such a person
c
: an answer or decision given by an oracle
ambiguous oracles
2
a
: a person giving wise or authoritative decisions or opinions
She became an oracle of pop culture.
b
: an authoritative or wise expression or answer
Examples of oracle in a Sentence
I met her long before she had become the oracle of pop culture.
Recent Examples on the Web
Perhaps only literary sci-fi oracles like him, Kurt Vonnegut, and Ray Bradbury could conceive of a future in which the past returns to both inform and challenge our understanding of reality.
—Michael Ashley, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
But other, less helpful oracles have the opposite effect.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
In a lighthearted twist on election predictions, a dog named Joy has emerged as the latest oracle for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
After the election, betting sites may look less like oracles than mirrors, reflecting the nation’s disunity back at us.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for oracle 
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.
Michael Ashley, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
But other, less helpful oracles have the opposite effect.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
In a lighthearted twist on election predictions, a dog named Joy has emerged as the latest oracle for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
After the election, betting sites may look less like oracles than mirrors, reflecting the nation’s disunity back at us.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for oracle
Articles Related to oracle
Dictionary Entries Near oracle
Cite this Entry
“Oracle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oracle. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
oracle
noun
or·a·cle
ˈȯr-ə-kəl 
ˈär-
1
: a person (as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a god is believed to speak
2
: the place where a god speaks through an oracle
3
: an answer given by an oracle
4
: a person giving wise or final decisions or advice
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share