divination
n.
practice of foretelling the future through supernatural means
Divination
Divination (Greek μαντεια, from μαντις "
seer", anglicized in the suffix -mancy, see also
mania) is the attempt of ascertaining information by interpretation of
omens or an alleged
supernatural agency, either by or on behalf of a
querent.If a distinction is to be made between divination and
fortune-telling, divination has a formal or ritual and often social character, usually in a
religious context; while fortune-telling is a more everyday practice for personal purposes. Divination is often dismissed by
skeptics, including the
scientific community, as being mere
superstition: in the
2nd century,
Lucian devoted a witty essay to the career of a charlatan, Alexander the false prophet, trained by "one of those who advertise enchantments, miraculous incantations, charms for your love-affairs, visitations for your enemies, disclosures of buried treasure, and successions to estates"
[1], though most Romans believed in dreams and charms.
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divination
Noun
1. successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck
(hypernym) guess, conjecture, supposition, surmise, surmisal, speculation, hypothesis
2. a prediction uttered under divine inspiration
(synonym) prophecy
(hypernym) prediction, foretelling, forecasting, prognostication
(hyponym) oracle
(derivation) divine
3. the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means
(synonym) foretelling, soothsaying, fortune telling
(hypernym) prophecy, prognostication, vaticination
(hyponym) dowse, dowsing, rhabdomancy
(derivation) divine
divination (f)
n.
divination, practice of foretelling the future through supernatural means
Divination
(n.)
The act of divining; a foreseeing or foretelling of future events; the pretended art discovering secret or future by preternatural means.
(n.)
An indication of what is future or secret; augury omen; conjectural presage; prediction.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter.
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