Divination

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌdɪvɪˈneɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or hidden matters through supernatural or mystical means
2. the act of discovering hidden truths or future events by interpreting signs, omens, or supernatural forces
3. a method of uncovering concealed information or forthcoming occurrences through mystical interpretation or occult techniques

Etymology: "Divination" came into English from Old French "divination," which in turn came from Latin "divinatio." The Latin noun grows from "divinare," to foretell or to be inspired, and that verb sits on the adjective "divinus," meaning "of a god" or "godlike." So the word's oldest sense is tied to the supernatural: to divine was to receive knowledge from a god, not to make a clever guess. That link explains the modern meaning. The same root gives "divine" in the sense of heavenly, and the English verb "divine," meaning to find something out by intuition or by reading signs, shares that ancestry. Divination in English therefore keeps the Latin idea of knowledge that comes from beyond ordinary observation, whether through omens, the arrangement of objects, or other supposed supernatural signals.

Synonyms: foretelling, prediction, prophecy, augury, soothsaying