telekinesis

American  

[tel-i-ki-nee-sis, -kahy-] / ˌtɛl ɪ kɪˈni sɪs, -kaɪ- /

noun

1. psychokinesis.

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telekinesis British  

/ -kaɪ-, ˌtɛlɪkɪˈnɛtɪk, -kaɪ-, ˌtɛlɪkɪˈniːsɪs /

noun

1. the movement of a body caused by thought or willpower without the application of a physical force

2. the ability to cause such movement

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Other Word Forms

• telekinetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of telekinesis

First recorded in 1885–90; tele- ¹ + -kinesis

Compare meaning

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

• telepathy vs. telekinesis

Explanation

If you can make things move just by thinking about moving them, you can call your amazing ability telekinesis. While most people don't believe in telekinesis, there are those who feel strongly that some people can move or change objects with their minds. The study of this phenomenon is called "parapsychology," which includes things like mind reading and reincarnation as well. The term telekinesis was first used in 1890 by Alexander N. Aksakof, a Russian adviser to the Czar, who combined the Greek tele, "at a distance," with kinesis, "movement or motion."

Example Sentences

Over the course of the film, my guesses included telekinesis and algae blooms wafting from Lake Merritt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

“We’re tighter. It’s like, damn near we got telekinesis out there more so than last year,” Rousseau said.

From Washington Times • Sep. 27, 2023

The movie script Tommy and Will are trying to sell centres on Roger Mitchell, a hero named after his teddy bear, who has three super powers - reading peoples' minds, changing peoples' minds and telekinesis.

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2023

It was based on a Stephen King novel that wedded “Carrie”-redolent telekinesis to the kind of paranoia of “Three Days of the Condor.”

From New York Times • May 13, 2022

We pretended the little boy who walked in with his mom had telekinesis.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy