A miracle is defined by Oxford, Merriam-Webster, and Cambridge English dictionaries as:
- “A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.”
- “A highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.”
- “An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.”
- “An extremely outstanding or unusual event or thing.”
- “An unusual and mysterious event that is thought to have been caused by a god because it does not follow the usual laws of nature.”
- “A very lucky event that is surprising and unexpected.”
The word itself is Middle English via Old French from the Latin “miraculum” (object of wonder), from “mirari” (to wonder), from “mirus” (wonderful).
Synonyms to miracle (of which may help clarify whether an event is miraculous): wonder, marvel, sensation, phenomenon, astonishing, awesome, amazing, splendor, wonder, delightful
And, finally, in Brittannica.com (in my childhood we had the hardbound encyclopedias), a miracle is: an extraordinary and astonishing happening that is attributed to the presence and action of an ultimate or divine power.
