Auspicious
/ɔːˈspɪʃ.əs/noun
Giving or suggesting a good chance of success; favorable.
Did you know?In Roman religion, an auspex was a priest who literally watched birds for divine approval, so a word we use for “promising” was born from omen-reading.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spek-
“to look, observe”
Latin
Latin
avis + specere
“bird + to look at; to observe birds for omens”
Latin
Latin
auspicium
“an omen drawn from observing birds”
Old French
Old French
auspice
“an omen or favorable sign”
Middle English
English
auspicious
“favorable, promising good fortune”
Modern English
English
auspicious
“favorable; indicating success or good fortune”
Explore more surprising origins