miraculum

Miraculum is a Latin noun meaning "miracle" or "wonder-working event." In linguistic terms, it denotes an extraordinary occurrence attributed to divine intervention or to a power beyond ordinary human ability. The noun derives from the Latin verb mirari, meaning to wonder or marvel.

In historical Christian usage, miraculum appears in Latin texts to describe events regarded as acts of God or saints’ intercessions that surpass natural explanation. In medieval and early modern hagiography and liturgy, lists of miracula documented miracles attributed to holy figures or to the Virgin Mary or Christ. The term also informs scholarly discussions of miracle narratives, miracle-working saints, and the criteria by which the church recognizes or documents miraculous events.

Outside strictly religious contexts, the word is largely archaic or reserved for linguistic and philological study. In modern English, the everyday concept is more commonly expressed with the term miracle; the English word ultimately traces back to Latin miraculum through French and other intermediaries. As a result, miraculum today is typically encountered in discussions of Latin language, medieval theology, or canonical sources rather than in contemporary usage.

Overall, miraculum is a historical and linguistic reference point for the notion of a miracle in Latin literature and Christian tradition, rather than a term widely used in contemporary secular discourse. It reflects how cultures have long distinguished extraordinary events as signs of divine action, while modern discourse more often relies on the broader, secular concept of a miracle.