mind reading

American

noun

the ability to discern the thoughts of others without the normal means of communication, especially by means of a preternatural power.
an act or the practice of so discerning the thoughts of another.

Etymology

Origin of mind reading

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

Jones continues that she had a message from James Thornton, Joanna Page's husband a few days earlier as he had a script idea and asked if she would mind reading it.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

“And I’m more the mind reading and feeling and sensing things, which I think is a female thing too.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2025

But even if this approach works, the prospect of combining mind reading and machine learning to predict hit songs remains fraught with ethical dilemmas.

From Scientific American • Jun. 30, 2023

Everyday mind reading is more subtle: We take in people’s faces and movements, listen to their words and then decide or intuit what might be going on in their heads.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2023

What if my mind reading could get me to Arizona sooner?

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023