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divine guidance

divine guidance

3 7.2
Special help from a god for someone deciding or acting
  • noun
translation icon : guía divina
  • The Senate chaplain's appeal for divine guidance came on a day when partisan divisions were on full display.

Examples

  • Divine guidance, which comes through that conscience, is always preferable to the often-wrong reasoning by which we devise means to reach ends we've deemed desirable.

    Blog text (26)
  • The divine guidance of God points the way.

  • We ask for divine guidance as we venture through this house.

  • I have built this Nation... ...under the divine guidance of Allah.

  • Divine guidance requires true faith.

  • We humbly beseech Thy divine guidance, O Lord.

  • And indeed, throughout the Apology, Socrates stresses the divine guidance that led him to the philosophic life.

    Academic text (2002)
  • They can revere Jewish tradition, Muslim tradition, and any other bodies of tradition that show the signs of divine guidance: wisdom, love, responsibility, holiness.

    Academic text (1991)
  • We ask for divine guidance as we venture through life's challenges.

  • In most instances, however, the divine guidance that Jackson perceived worked in his favor.

Synonyms

God's Will
vsdivine guidance
61 6.6

A plan or wish of God that guides what happens

focuses on personal direction of thoughts and actions rather than broad events
inspiration
vsdivine guidance
  • Specialized
13 7.9

A special influence from God believed to guide holy writers

guides personal thoughts and actions rather than mainly affecting texts
divine revelation
vsdivine guidance
2 8.6

Knowledge given to people by a god or supernatural power

gives ongoing direction for choices rather than a single factual message

Antonyms

Being able to choose and control your own actions and learning

How Guided

divine guidance
3 7.2
guidance
248 2.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

divine + guidance

The meaning 'special influence or direction from a deity' is directly and transparently built from 'divine' (of or from God) + 'guidance' (helpful advice/direction), so a learner who knows both words can infer the phrase. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically in religious vocabulary and follows normal noun-modifier semantics, making it immediately comprehensible at B1.

Etymology

Divine guidance comes from the simple image of a divine hand or light showing someone the way and giving guidance. So the phrase means 'special direction' or 'help' that people believe comes from a god or higher power.