psychic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the human soul or mind; mental.
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Psychology. pertaining to or noting mental phenomena.
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outside of natural or scientific knowledge; spiritual.
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of or relating to some apparently nonphysical force or agency.
psychic research;
psychic phenomena.
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sensitive to influences or forces of a nonphysical or supernatural nature.
noun
adjective
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outside the possibilities defined by natural laws, as mental telepathy
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(of a person) sensitive to forces not recognized by natural laws
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mental as opposed to physical; psychogenic
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bridge (of a bid) based on less strength than would normally be required to make the bid
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of psychic
First recorded in 1855–60; from Greek psȳchikós “of the soul”; see Psyche, -ic
Explanation
A psychic reads minds and predicts the future. If you were a psychic, you wouldn't have bothered reading this because you would have known what I was going to say. Psychic can also describe something that has to do with your mind more than your body. You weren't physically harmed when your favorite team lost the championship game, but the psychic pain was considerable. Psychic comes from a Greek word meaning “breath” and “soul”: psychic matters are often felt but not seen.
Vocabulary lists containing psychic
The Catcher in the Rye
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Tears of a Tiger
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Body Language: Psych ("Mind")
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They consulted a psychic, who said that Cynthia’s body would be found near water.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
She told BBC Scotland News it was a bar she would not usually go to, but they had gone to see a psychic show.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
A friend whose father was from Queens, N.Y., talked me into tying some of my psychic well-being to the fortunes of the blue and orange.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Vaginal Davis on her L.A. beginnings and having fun while making an impact Visiting the in-demand Wendy L’Belle Tividad for a psychic reading Unpacking the oral history of jerkin’ and its lasting impact beyond L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
There were times when I thought I’d gone off the psychic edge.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
