An "oracle" is a person or a thing that provides authoritative or wise predictions, advice, or insight, often in a religious or prophetic context. Historically, oracles were believed to communicate messages from deities or the divine, often found in ancient cultures as intermediaries between gods and humans. Today, the term can refer to any source of wisdom or knowledge, especially relating to future events or guidance.
The word "oracle" comes from the Latin "oraculum," which means "a divine announcement" or "a prophetic utterance." This, in turn, comes from the verb "orare," meaning "to speak" or "to pray." The concept has traveled through history, deeply rooted in ancient cultures' beliefs about divine communication.