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- Dictionarymiracle/ˈmɪrɪkl/
noun
- 1. an extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency: "the miracle of rising from the grave" Similar
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The meaning of MIRACLE is an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. How to use miracle in a sentence.
A miracle is an unusual and mysterious event that is thought to have been caused by a god or a very lucky event that is surprising and unexpected. Learn more about the meaning, synonyms, idioms, and translations of miracle from Cambridge Dictionary.
- Overview
- Nature and significance
- Types and functions of miracles
- Revelation and signification
- Authentication
miracle, extraordinary and astonishing happening that is attributed to the presence and action of an ultimate or divine power.
A miracle is generally defined, according to the etymology of the word—it comes from the Greek thaumasion and the Latin miraculum—as that which causes wonder and astonishment, being extraordinary in itself and amazing or inexplicable by normal standards. Because that which is normal and usual is also considered as natural, miracles have occasionally been defined as supernatural events, but this definition presupposes a very specific conception of nature and natural laws and cannot, therefore, be generally applied. The significance of a miraculous event is frequently held to reside not in the event as such but in the reality to which it points (e.g., the presence or activity of a divine power); thus, a miracle is also called a sign—from the Greek sēmeion (biblical Hebrew ot)—signifying and indicating something beyond itself. Extraordinary and astonishing occurrences become specifically religious phenomena when they express, reveal, or signify a religious reality, however defined.
Belief in miraculous happenings is a feature of practically all religions, and the incidence of miracles (i.e., of belief in and reports regarding miracles) is universal, though their functions, nature, purpose, and explanations vary with the social and cultural—including theological and philosophical—context in which they appear. However inexplicable, all miracles have an explanation in the sense that they are accounted for in terms of the religious and cultural system that supports them and that, in turn, they are meant to support. Without such an accompanying—explicit or implicit—theory (e.g., the presence, activity, and intervention of such realities as gods, spirits, or magical powers), there would be no miracles in the aforementioned sense but only unexplained phenomena.
There is no general rule determining the types of occurrences that can be classified as miracles; they vary according to the cultural matrix of beliefs and assumptions. The mythological accounts of the origins of the gods and their activities in the primeval past, as well as accounts of the activities of other primeval beings, such as first ancesto...
The purpose of a miracle may be in the direct and immediate result of the event—e.g., deliverance from imminent danger (thus, the passage of the children of Israel through the Red Sea in the Hebrew Bible [Old Testament] book of Exodus), cure of illness, or provision of plenty to the needy. Nevertheless, the ultimate purpose frequently is the demons...
In practice, it is difficult to distinguish the revelatory or signifying miracles from miracles of authentication—i.e., miraculous happenings that serve (1) as credentials for claimants to religious authority in the form of leadership (e.g., in Exodus 4, in which Moses convinces the Israelites of the authenticity of his mission by miraculous performances) or prophecy (e.g., in Deuteronomy 18, where it is written that a prophet is disqualified if the sign that he has predicted does not come to pass), (2) as the demonstration of the superior power of a particular god (e.g., in Exodus 7, which recounts Aaron’s staff swallowing up the staffs of the Egyptian magicians, thus demonstrating the superiority of the God of the Israelites), (3) as proof of the sanctity of a holy person, a holy site, or a holy object, or (4) more generally as evidence of the truth of a particular religion.
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Feb 25, 2019 · What makes a miracle? Learn more about these unexplainable events of divine intervention in human affairs, the types and how to interpret them.
A miracle may be false information or simply a fictional story, rather than something that truly happened. A miracle experience may be due to cognitive errors (e.g. overthinking, jumping to conclusions) or psychological errors (e.g. hallucinations) of witnesses.
A miracle is an effect or event that defies natural laws and is attributed to a supernatural cause. Learn the origin, usage and synonyms of the word miracle from Dictionary.com.
1. an event or action that apparently contradicts known scientific laws and is hence thought to be due to supernatural causes, esp. to an act of God. 2. a remarkable event or thing; marvel. 3. a wonderful example. a miracle of tact. 4. miracle play.
