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divine intervention

divine intervention

13 7.9
An action by a god or spirit that changes what happens to people
  • noun
  • /dɪˈvaɪn ˌɪntərˈvɛnʃən/
translation icon : intervención divina
  • Many people believe that divine intervention saved the survivors of the accident.

So I don't know how I overcame other than divine intervention.

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Examples

  • Such a series, Frye writes, argues that "the deliberate choice of a younger son represents a divine intervention in human affairs."

    Academic text (1992)
  • This calls for divine intervention.

  • I believe it is all the divine intervention of our king.

  • This is some sort of divine intervention going on here.

  • It's possible that divine intervention has come into my life once again.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Many have understood the resurrection to be the greatest of divine interventions.

    Academic text (2006)
  • It was nothing short of divine intervention.

  • Participants also held strong beliefs about divine intervention in health problems, which was common among elderly people in this study.

    Academic text (1995)
  • That our being brought together in such a harmonious way... she felt was surely divine intervention.

  • Lord, we pray for Your divine intervention and healing in this circumstance.

    Blog text (23)

Synonyms

miracle
vsdivine intervention
4.4

A very surprising good event that has no natural explanation

is active interference in human affairs rather than a single isolated event

How Miraculous

miracle
4.4
divine intervention
13 7.9
sign
3.2
coincidence
426 3.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

divine + intervention

The meaning 'intervention by a deity or supernatural force' is directly and compositionally derived from 'divine' (relating to a deity) + 'intervention' (active involvement). This is a literal, non-idiomatic combination found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Divine intervention paints the picture of a divine being or god 'stepping in' to change events people cannot control, like a sudden helping hand from above. So, the intervention part means that 'stepping in' and the phrase means an unexpected, miraculous 'help' by a higher power.