Augury: meaning, definitions and examples

Typically used when referring to ancient practices of interpreting signs or omens, often linked with rituals and ceremonies.

• The priest's augury suggested a prosperous year ahead.
• In ancient times, people relied on augury to make important decisions.

Used when discussing methods or practices for seeking knowledge or future events by supernatural means, often including tarot reading, astrology, and other mystical arts.

• Her skills in divination were renowned, attracting people from far and wide.
• The divination ritual involved complex symbols and ancient chants.

Used when referring to a specific, often formal or religious, pronouncement about what will happen in the future. This word carries a sense of inevitability and authority.

• The ancient prophecy foretold the return of the lost king.
• Her prophecy about the country's fate left everyone in awe.

Commonly used in everyday language to indicate a forecast or an educated guess about future events, typically based on current information or trends.

• The weather prediction for tomorrow is sunny.
• His prediction about the stock market proved to be correct.

Augury is often used in a formal or literary context to describe the practice of interpreting signs or omens, usually for predicting the future.

• The ancient priests performed augury before important events to foresee the outcomes.
• She took the raven's flight as an augury of impending change.

Portent carries a slightly more dramatic and formal tone, often used to describe a sign that something significant or catastrophic is going to happen.

• The sudden flock of birds was taken as a portent of disaster.
• The comet was seen as a portent of major political upheaval.

Sign is the most general term and can be used in both formal and informal contexts to indicate any mark, object, or event that implies something beyond itself.

• The falling leaves are a sign that autumn is on its way.
• Her silence was a clear sign that she disagreed.

Omen is commonly used to refer to a sign, either good or bad, indicating what might happen in the future. It is often used in everyday language.

• Finding a four-leaf clover is often considered a good omen.
• The dark clouds on the horizon were seen as a bad omen by the sailors.