psychic

American  

[sahy-kik] / ˈsaɪ kɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the human soul or mind; mental.

2. Psychology. pertaining to or noting mental phenomena.

3. outside of natural or scientific knowledge; spiritual.

4. of or relating to some apparently nonphysical force or agency.

   psychic research;

   psychic phenomena.

5. sensitive to influences or forces of a nonphysical or supernatural nature.

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noun

1. a person who is allegedly sensitive to psychic influences or forces; medium.

psychic British  

/ ˈsaɪkɪk /

adjective

1. 1. outside the possibilities defined by natural laws, as mental telepathy

   2. (of a person) sensitive to forces not recognized by natural laws

2. mental as opposed to physical; psychogenic

3. bridge (of a bid) based on less strength than would normally be required to make the bid

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noun

1. a person who is sensitive to parapsychological forces or influences

Other Word Forms

• interpsychic adjective
• nonpsychic adjective
• nonpsychical adjective
• psychical adjective
• psychically adverb
• unpsychic adjective

Etymology

Origin of psychic

First recorded in 1855–60; from Greek psȳchikós “of the soul”; Psyche, -ic

Example Sentences

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

Framing the existing situation, e.g., if a medium or psychic says something is moving, people expect, and are more likely to experience, motion.

From Literature

I’m a really instinctual person and I get feelings — I feel like I’m a little psychic.

From Los Angeles Times

Cake, it turns out, carries a lot of psychic weight.

From Salon

After the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, Pratt told the Oklahoman newspaper that the FBI asked him to sketch a potential suspect from a description by a psychic.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• mental
• metaphysical
• psychological
• spiritual
• supernatural