parapsychology

[ par-uh-sahy-kol-uh-jee ]

/ ˌpær ə saɪˈkɒl ə dʒi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR parapsychology ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the branch of psychology that deals with the investigation of purportedly psychic phenomena, as clairvoyance, extrasensory perception, telepathy, and the like.

Nearby words

paraprofessional, paraprotein, paraproteinemia, parapsia, parapsoriasis, parapsychology, paraquat, paraquet, parareflexia, pararescue, pararosanilin

Origin of parapsychology

First recorded in 1925–30; para-¹ + psychology

Related forms

par·a·psy·cho·log·i·cal, adjectivepar·a·psy·chol·o·gist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for parapsychology

He knows all about parapsychology, he had all the references, all the terms, all without me giving them to him.
Ghostbusters Is Real!|Benjamin Sarlin|October 26, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The Psionics and Parapsychology people weren't the only delegation to reach Blanley that day.
The Edge of the Knife|Henry Beam Piper
You are then, ah, presenting yourself as an authority on parapsychology, perhaps?
The Best Made Plans|Everett B. Cole
"I'm beginning to, since I've been talking to these Psionics and Parapsychology people," he laughed.
The Edge of the Knife|Henry Beam Piper

He described the interview with the Psionics and Parapsychology people.
The Edge of the Knife|Henry Beam Piper
If I had asked you to attend an experiment in parapsychology, you'd have agreed at once.
Sense from Thought Divide|Mark Irvin Clifton

British Dictionary definitions for parapsychology

parapsychology

/ (ˌpærəsaɪˈkɒlədʒɪ) /

noun

the study of mental phenomena, such as telepathy, which are beyond the scope of normal physical explanation

Derived Forms

parapsychological (ˌpærəsaɪkəˈlɒʒɪkəl), adjectiveparapsychologist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for parapsychology

parapsychology

[ păr′ə-sī-kŏl′ə-jē ]

n.

The study of extrasensory perception, such as telepathy, psychokinesis, and clairvoyance.

Related forms

par′a•psy′cho•log′i•cal (-sī′kə-lŏj′ĭ-kəl) adj.

Culture definitions for parapsychology

parapsychology

[ (par-uh-seye-kol-uh-jee) ]

The study of extrasensory perception (ESP), communications with the dead, telekinesis (using mental energy to cause distant objects to move), and other mental phenomena that have not been explained or accepted by scientists. (See psychic research.)