augurial
|au-gu-ri-al|
/ɔːˈɡjʊəriəl/
relating to omens
Etymology
'augurial' originates from Latin, specifically the noun 'augur' (and the related noun 'augurium'), where 'augur' meant 'an observer of omens' and 'augurium' meant 'omens' or 'divination'.
'augurial' formed in English by attaching the adjectival suffix '-ial' to Latin-derived 'augur'/'augury'; the Latin 'augur' and 'augurium' entered Old and Middle English via ecclesiastical and learned Latin forms (compare Middle English 'augury').
Initially it meant 'of or pertaining to augurs or augury (the practice of reading omens)'; over time it has retained that sense and also come to be used more broadly as 'ominous' or 'portending'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to an augur or the practice of augury; concerned with omens or the interpretation of signs.
The priest read the augurial signs and warned the community of possible danger.
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Adjective 2
of or like an omen; serving as a sign or prediction of something to come.
The sudden drop in temperature was taken as an augurial sign of a coming storm.
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Last updated: 2025/11/19 03:36