PsychologyAugust 27, 2026

clairvoyance

klair-VOY-uns

Definition

The supposed faculty or power of perceiving things or events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact.

Etymology

Derived from the French words 'clair' (clear) and 'voyance' (seeing), the term entered English in the 19th century to describe the belief in perceiving hidden information.

In the news

The article mentions clairvoyance as one of several 'psychic phenomena' that early 20th-century scientists and philosophers investigated to see if humans or animals possessed supernatural abilities.

How a ‘psychic’ horse named Clever Hans changed the way we do science

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The Conversation

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