Standard Lemma guide

propitious

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /pɹəˈpɪʃəs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AH0 P IH1 SH AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Favorable; advantageous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • propitious weather

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: favorable, advantageous

Antonyms: unpropitious

2

adj

Meaning 2

Characteristic of a good omen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: auspicious, fortunate, promising

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Favorably disposed towards someone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • propitious omens
  • propitious gales speeded us along
  • a propitious alignment of planets for space exploration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unpropitious

History

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman and Old French propicius, from Latin propitius (“favorable, well-disposed, kind”). Compare French propice, Portuguese propício and Spanish propicio.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: благоприятен (blagoprijaten) — favorable
  • Catalan: favorable — favorable
  • Catalan: propici — favorable
  • Dutch: gunstig — favorable
  • Finnish: suotuisa — favorable
  • French: favorable — favorable
  • French: propice — favorable
  • German: günstig — favorable
  • German: förderlich — favorable
  • German: gnädig — favorable
  • Greek: ευνοϊκός (evnoïkós) — favorable
  • Hungarian: kedvező — favorable
  • Italian: propizio — favorable
  • Māori: momoho — favorable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gunstig — favorable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fordelaktig — favorable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: favorabel — favorable
  • Polish: sprzyjający — favorable
  • Portuguese: propício — favorable
  • Russian: благоприя́тный (blagoprijátnyj) — favorable
  • Spanish: propicio — favorable
  • Swedish: gynnsam — favorable
  • Ukrainian: сприятливий (spryjatlyvyj) — favorable
  • Catalan: avantatjós — advantageous
  • Dutch: voordelig — advantageous
  • Finnish: edullinen — advantageous
  • Finnish: hyödyllinen — advantageous
  • French: avantageux — advantageous
  • German: vorteilhaft — advantageous
  • Hungarian: előnyös — advantageous
  • Swedish: fördelaktig — advantageous
  • Catalan: propici — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • Dutch: onder een goed gesternte — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • Finnish: suotuisa — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • Finnish: lupaava — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • French: de bonne augure — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • German: verheißungsvoll — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • Latin: propitius — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • Swedish: lyckosam — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • Turkish: uğurlu — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • Ottoman Turkish: اوغورلو (uğurlu) — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious
  • Ottoman Turkish: میمون (maymun) — characteristic of a good omen: auspicious