telepathy

American  

[tuh-lep-uh-thee] / təˈlɛp ə θi /

noun

1. communication between minds by some means other than sensory perception.

---

telepathy British  

/ tɪˈlɛpəθɪ, ˌtɛlɪˈpæθɪk /

noun

1. Also called: thought transference.  psychol the communication between people of thoughts, feelings, desires, etc, involving mechanisms that cannot be understood in terms of known scientific laws Compare telegnosis clairvoyance

---

telepathy Cultural  

1. Knowledge conveyed from one individual to another without means of the five senses; mind reading. (See also extrasensory perception, parapsychology, and psychic research.)

---

Other Word Forms

• nontelepathic adjective
• nontelepathically adverb
• telepathic adjective
• telepathically adverb
• telepathist noun

Etymology

Origin of telepathy

First recorded in 1880–85; tele- ¹ + -pathy

Compare meaning

How does telepathy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• telepathy vs. telekinesis

Explanation

That thing that happens when somehow you know in your head exactly what your brother wants for dinner even though he hasn’t said a word? That could be telepathy, communication that involves none of the known senses. Scientists can’t quite figure out if telepathy really is possible, but you can still use the word to describe those times when you seem to know what someone else is thinking. With telepathy, people communicate entirely in the mind without saying anything. If you walk into your favorite coffee shop and without a word the guy at the counter hands you your double latte, that could be telepathy. Or it could be you just order that all the time.

Example Sentences

It’s silent, and also a weird form of telepathy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025

Lee is fascinated by the plant, specifically the rumblings he’s heard that it can be used for telepathy.

From Salon • Nov. 27, 2024

Mork uses telepathy to summon characters’ memories, in the form of scenes from the sitcom’s first five years.

From New York Times • Jan. 15, 2024

"It's lovely to have those two players and the telepathy we all know, but we need to give them a bit of time," said Hayes.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2023

Throwing telepathy into the whole situation didn’t seem like the grandest of ideas.

From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner