omen

An omen is a phenomenon believed to foretell future events or outcomes. Omen interpretation is a feature of many cultures and belief systems, in which signs are read to discern meaning from ordinary occurrences. The word omen derives from the Latin omen, meaning a sign or portent.

Omen forms include natural phenomena such as eclipses or comets, animal behavior like unusual flight patterns, dreams or visions, and random events interpreted as signals. In some traditions, a distinction is made between augury, the interpretation of birds’ signs, and a broader sense of portent as any sign of future events.

Historically, omens have guided decisions in politics, agriculture, and warfare in various cultures. In ancient Rome, for example, augurs interpreted bird flights to forecast outcomes. Religious and traditional systems often view omens as messages from deities or the cosmos. Scripts in Judaism, Christianity, and other faiths reference dreams and signs as communications from a higher power.

In contemporary usage, omens appear in literature, film, and popular discourse as devices to imply fate or doom. From a scientific perspective, omens are not shown to reliably predict future events; rather, they are understood as cognitive biases, pattern recognition, or coincidences that people interpret as meaningful.

See also: auspice, portent, divination, prophecy, omens in culture.