clairvoyance

noun

clair·​voy·​ance kler-ˈvȯi-ən(t)s How to pronounce clairvoyance (audio)
1
: the power or faculty of discerning objects not present to the senses
2
: ability to perceive matters beyond the range of ordinary perception : penetration
The fortune teller practices clairvoyance when she gazes into a crystal ball to see her client's future.

Examples of clairvoyance in a Sentence

I don't believe in clairvoyance, but I can't explain how he knew those things about my grandmother. people who claim to have clairvoyance are sometimes asked to help locate missing persons
Recent Examples on the Web Poets Photo: Taylor Swift via YouTube In The Tortured Poets Department, American bard and billionaire Taylor Swift invokes the story of Cassandra, the Trojan princess who receives the gift of clairvoyance from the Greek god Apollo, a lover who later curses her never to be believed. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2024 The authors of these three centennial volumes claim no clairvoyance about history’s intention. Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2021 The state of things highlights another example of the late MF DOOM’s clairvoyance. C. Brandon Ogbunu, WIRED, 6 May 2024 Most of the visual effects, in terms of the clairvoyance, were done in camera with me and a diopter, making a lot of noise and smashing glass against glass and a flashlight. Simon Thompson, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clairvoyance 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clairvoyance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see clairvoyant entry 1

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clairvoyance was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near clairvoyance

Cite this Entry

“Clairvoyance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clairvoyance. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

clairvoyance

noun
clair·​voy·​ance kla(ə)r-ˈvȯi-ən(t)s How to pronounce clairvoyance (audio)
kle(ə)r-
: the power of seeing or knowing about things that are not present to the senses
Etymology

from French clairvoyance "clairvoyance," from clair "clear" (from Latin clarus "clear") and voyant "seeing" (derived from Latin vidēre "to see") — related to clear, vision

Medical Definition

clairvoyance

noun
clair·​voy·​ance kla(ə)r-ˈvȯi-ən(t)s, kle(ə)r- How to pronounce clairvoyance (audio)
: the power or faculty of discerning objects or matters not present to the senses

called also cryptesthesia

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