oracular

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 11, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>oracular</strong> &#149; \aw-RAK-yuh-ler\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Oracular</em> can describe something that is used to forecast or divine, or that resembles or relates to something used for such purposes. <em>Oracular</em> can also describe a person who resembles an <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oracle">oracle</a>—a person (such as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak.</p> <p>// The students admired the professor's <em>oracular</em> wisdom.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oracular">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Salman Rushdie’s new novel, <em>Victory City</em>, purports to be the summary of a long-lost, 24,000-verse epic poem from 14th-century India. The hero and author of the poem is Pampa Kampana, who as a girl becomes the conduit for a goddess, channeling her <em>oracular</em> <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pronouncement">pronouncements</a> and wielding her magical powers." — Judith Shulevitz, <em>The Atlantic</em>, 31 Jan. 2023 </p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>When the ancient Greeks had questions or problems, they would turn to the gods for answers by consulting an <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oracle">oracle</a>, a person through whom the gods communicated, usually in the form of <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptic">cryptic</a> verse. (<em>Oracle</em> also referred to the god's answer or to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/oracle-religion">shrine</a> that worshippers approached when seeking advice; the word's root is the Latin verb <em>orare</em>, which means "to speak.") English speakers today can use <em>oracle</em> to simply refer to an