Miraculous
adjective /mɪˈrækjʊləs/ — Occurring through divine intervention — or simply so extraordinary it seems beyond natural explanation.
Definition
Occurring through supernatural causes; having the nature of a miracle; remarkable; extraordinary beyond what is natural or possible.
Beyond the definition
Miraculous covers the theological and the colloquial — the miraculous healing and the miraculous escape. In both uses, it names an outcome that seems to exceed the normal operation of cause and effect. Something arrived that shouldn't have.
Origin & history
From Latin miraculum — a wonder (from mirari: to wonder at). The wonder at — miraculous as what produces wonder in the observer. The miracle is defined by its effect on those who witness it.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The recovery was miraculous — the doctors used the word themselves, carefully.
She called it miraculous, which meant: I cannot explain this, and I'm grateful for it.
The miraculous is always relative to expectation — what is ordinary in one context is miraculous in another.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Miraculous” when the meaning fits your context: Occurring through supernatural causes; having the nature of a miracle; remarkable; extraordinary beyond what is natural or possible.
Synonyms
extraordinary, wondrous, supernatural, phenomenal, inexplicable
Antonyms
ordinary, natural, explicable, expected
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Fleeting Beam of Sunlight
An adult on a city balcony captures a brilliant, sudden beam of sunlight striking a flower in a pot.
The unexpected, brilliant beam of light illuminates a single flower in a way that feels miraculous. It is an extraordinary, welcome occurrence that breaks through the grey clouds, suggesting a moment of grace that is beyond natural, everyday expectations.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Miraculous" mean?
Miraculous is adjective meaning: Occurring through divine intervention — or simply so extraordinary it seems beyond natural explanation.. Occurring through supernatural causes; having the nature of a miracle; remarkable; extraordinary beyond what is natural or possible.
Where does the word "Miraculous" come from?
From Latin miraculum — a wonder (from mirari: to wonder at). The wonder at — miraculous as what produces wonder in the observer. The miracle is defined by its effect on those who witness it.