Vaticination

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vəˌtɪsɪˈneɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The process of making predictions regarding future events A technique that encompasses both intuition and spiritual insight in foretelling outcomes The act of foreseeing future occurrences through various mystical or prophetic means
2. The act or practice of forecasting events that have yet to occur
3. The process by which one attempts to discern or anticipate forthcoming happenings

Etymology: Vaticination comes from the Latin "vaticinari," meaning "to prophesy" or "to utter prophecies," a verb built on "vates," a word for a seer, bard, or inspired poet. The Romans used "vates" for someone who spoke with divine inspiration, and the same word could describe a poet, since early Latin poetry was often understood as prophetic utterance. The verb "vaticinate" entered English later, and the noun "vaticination" follows the familiar pattern of adding "-ion" to a verb stem. The noun passed into English through Latin "vaticinatio," which was formed from the verb's stem plus the suffix "-tio," meaning the act or result of doing something. From there it reached Middle English through Old French "-ation" forms, and English later settled on the standard "-ation" ending. The word therefore preserves an older layer of Latin in which prophecy and poetry were close relatives, both rooted in the idea of a divinely inspired speaker.

Synonyms: prediction, forecast, prophesy

Antonyms: certainty, fact