Augury
/ˈɔːɡjəri/
nounC2
Definition
Augury means looking at signs, events, or symbols to guess what will happen in the future. It comes from old times when people believed birds, weather, or other natural things could tell important messages about what was coming next. Today, it is often used to talk about predictions or warnings based on signs.
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See It in Action
The practice of predicting the future from signs, especially in ancient times
- •The Romans used augury to decide when to start battles.
- •Ancient priests performed augury by watching birds’ flights.
- •Augury was an important part of decision-making in many old cultures.
A sign or warning about what will happen
- •Dark clouds are often seen as an augury of bad weather.
- •The sudden silence in the forest was an augury of danger.
- •His success was an augury of more good things to come.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "augury" like "guess" (A1 word), but instead of guessing randomly, you use special signs or clues to make a prediction.
- ✓Picture a person watching birds flying in the sky and interpreting their movements as messages about the future.
- ✓It's the feeling of trying to understand what might happen next by carefully observing small details around you.
- ✓Sounds like "AUG-ury" → Imagine an owl (which sounds like "aug") giving wise advice about what will happen.
- ✓In stories or old myths, priests or wise people used augury to decide important things by reading signs from nature.
- ✓NOT like "fortune" (a general idea of future) — augury is about reading specific signs to predict.
- ✓NOT like "guess" (random) — augury uses careful observation and interpretation.
- ✓NOT like "prophecy" (a clear, direct message) — augury is often indirect and needs interpretation.
Try Other Words
- •Omen: a sign believed to predict the future (Use when the sign is seen as good or bad luck)
- •Prediction: a statement about what will happen (Use when focusing on the future event, not the sign)
- •Divination: the practice of finding hidden knowledge about the future (Use in more general or mystical contexts)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: from Latin "augur-" (related to a priest who reads signs) + "-y" (noun ending)
- •Etymology: From Latin "augurium," meaning the act of interpreting birds or signs for future events
- •Historical development: Used in ancient Rome and other cultures where priests watched nature to guide decisions
- •Modern usage: Now mostly used in literary or formal language to describe signs or warnings about the future
Reflect & Connect
•How do people today look for "auguries" in their daily lives, even if they don’t call it that?
•Can modern technology create new forms of augury, like predicting the future from data or patterns?
Fill in the blanks
1.Ancient leaders used augury to decide ___ important actions, like starting wars or ceremonies.
2.Seeing a black cat was considered an augury ___ bad luck in many cultures.
3.Augury differs from a simple guess because it is based on ___ signs or events.
4.The sudden quiet in the room was an augury ___ trouble or conflict.
5.People often look for augury ___ nature, such as bird flights or weather changes.
6.Unlike clear prophecies, augury requires careful ___ to understand the meaning.
7.When someone trusts augury, they believe that certain ___ can tell the future.