Definition of AUSPICIOUS (original) (raw)
1
: showing or suggesting that future success is likely : propitious
made an auspicious beginning
Such an auspicious start might have brought only honor and further triumph, but a witches' brew of scientific contentiousness, the temper of the times, and quirks in Dubois's own psyche soon derailed any pleasant development and turned Dubois's bounty into bitterness.—
Stephen Jay Gould
2
: attended by good auspices : fortunate, prosperous
… a festival that takes place during the hottest months of spring, just before the monsoon rains, and that is considered an auspicious time for weddings.—Cynthia Gorney
In days of old, seers entered a trance state and then informed anxious seekers what kind of mood the gods were in, and whether this was an auspicious time to begin a journey, get married, or start a war.—Harvey Cox
Did you know?
Some word knowledge to crow about in your next tweetstorm: auspicious comes from Latin auspex, which literally means “bird seer” (from the words avis, meaning “bird,” and specere, meaning “to look at”). In ancient Rome, these “bird seers” were priests or augurs who studied the flight and feeding patterns of birds, then delivered prophecies based on their observations. The right combination of bird behavior indicated favorable conditions, but the wrong patterns spelled trouble. The English noun auspice, which originally referred to this practice of observing birds to discover omens, also comes from Latin auspex. Today, the plural form auspices is often used with the meaning “kindly support and guidance.”
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for auspicious
favorable weather conditions
auspicious applies to something taken as a sign or omen promising success before or at the start of an event.
propitious may also apply to beginnings but often implies a continuing favorable condition.
a propitious time for starting a business
Examples of auspicious in a Sentence
After his auspicious debut, Chambers became sought after by serious collectors of folk art; but given that the present show is now only the second he has had and is the first retrospective look at him, he is probably as obscure to the general museum going public today as he was in 1942. —Sanford Schwartz, New York Review of Books, 15 Jan. 2009 There is, first of all, Marconi himself, the 21-year-old prodigy who burst on London with his gizmo in 1896. This wasn't the most auspicious moment for a half-Irish, half-Italian unknown to announce that he had bested some of the empire's greatest scientific minds. —Kevin Baker, New York Times Book Review, 5 Nov. 2006 Indeed, it hardly seems like an auspicious time to introduce a brand of cigarettes, especially for tiny Star, which accounts for just over 1 percent of the U.S. market with its four brands of discount smokes. —David Noonan, Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2000
His acclaimed first novel was an auspicious debut. told him she couldn't dance with him just then, but her auspicious smile encouraged him to ask again later
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
November will be auspicious and for more reasons than one. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024 Readers were advised that certain marks are auspicious. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024 On this auspicious Saint Laurent evening, Kravitz opted for a sleveless black satin shirt with a giant Oliver Wilde bow spilling down the front, topped with a long Keanu-Reeves-ish Matrix greatcoat. —Guy Martin, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 Where to see biophilia in Shanghai The red facades of The Roof in Huangpu nod to the color's significance in feng shui as a powerful and auspicious design choice. —Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for auspicious 
Word History
Etymology
Latin auspicium auspice + -ous
First Known Use
1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of auspicious was in 1593
Dictionary Entries Near auspicious
Cite this Entry
“Auspicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auspicious. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
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Last Updated: 15 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences
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