Meanings
- economicsThe rise of Europe to geopolitical dominance during the modern period.
As Karl Ferdinand Werner has pointed out, the 'European miracle' 'did not take place after the 'Middle Ages' or in spite of the 'Middle Ages', but because of the existence of a Christian world dominated in the West by Catholic doctrines, a world we have become accustomed to call the Middle Ages.'
1999, Hans Albert, Between Social Science, Religion and Politics, Essays in Critical Rationalism, page 205Synonyms: Great Divergence, Rise of the West
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe rise of Europe to geopolitical dominance during the modern period.
Origin
Coined in 1981 by Eric Jones.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
European miracle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/European%20miracle
“European miracle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/European%20miracle. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “European miracle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/European%20miracle.
Source: European miracle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.