ity, but only of those more
or less fitly attributed to him." J. A. H. MURRAY. [M.] Holiness is an
_attribute_ of God; the _attributes_ of many heathen deities have been
only the _qualities_ of wicked men joined to superhuman power. A
_property_ (L. _proprius_, one's own) is what belongs especially to one
thing as its own peculiar possession, in distinction from all other
things; when we speak of the _qualities_ or the _properties_ of matter,
_quality_ is the more general, _property_ the more limited term. A
_quality_ is inherent; a _property_ may be transient; physicists now,
however, prefer to term those _qualities_ manifested by all bodies (such
as impenetrability, extension, etc.), _general properties_ of matter,
while those peculiar to certain substances or to certain states of those
substances (as fluidity, malleability, etc.) are termed _specific
properties_; in this wider use of the word _property_, it becomes
strictly synonymous with _quality_. Compare CHARACTERISTIC; EMBLEM.

Antonyms:

being, essence, nature, substance.

* * * * *

AUGUR.

Synonyms:

betoken, divine, foretell, predict, prognosticate,
bode, forebode, portend, presage, prophesy.

"Persons or things _augur_; persons only _forebode_ or _presage_; things
only _betoken_ or _portend_." CRABB _English Synonymes_. We _augur_ well
for a voyage from past good fortune and a good start; we _presage_
success from the stanchness of the ship and the skill of the captain.
We _forebode_ misfortune either from circumstances that _betoken_
failure, or from gloomy fancies for which we could not give a reason.
Dissipation among the officers and mutiny among the crew _portend_
disaster. _Divine_ has reference to the ancient soothsayers' arts (as in
_Gen._ xliv, 5, 15), and refers rather to reading hearts than to reading
the future. We say I could not _divine_ his motive, or his intention.

Antonyms:

assure, demonstrate, establish, make sure, settle,
calculate, determine, insure, prove, warrant.

Prepositions:

I augur _from_ all circumstances a prosperous result; I augur ill _of_
the enterprise; "augurs ill _to_ the rights of the people," THOMAS
JEFFERSON _Writings_ vol. ii, p. 506. [T. & M. '53.] I augur well, or
this augurs well, _for_ your cause.

* * * * *

AUTHENTIC.

Synonyms:

accepted, certain, original, sure,