psychic

psychic — adjective

IPA/ˈsaɪkɪk/
KK[sˈaɪkɪk]IPA/ˈsaɪkɪk/
  • psychicpositive
  • more psychiccomparative
  • most psychicsuperlative

1. describing a person who can do things that seem impossible by ordinary means, su

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a person who can do things that seem impossible by ordinary means, such as seeing future events or reading another person's thoughts without being told anything

Example

Gabriel felt a strange psychic connection to the old house, as if he had lived there before.

collocation: psychic connection

The documentary explored whether animals have a psychic sense that helps them find their way home.

psychic sense + whether-clause

Common collocations
  • psychic powers
  • psychic ability
  • psychic connection
  • psychic feeling
  • psychic sense
  • psychic reading
Synonyms
  • clairvoyant

    more specific — refers only to seeing future events or distant scenes

  • telepathic

    more specific — refers only to reading or transmitting thoughts

  • supernatural

    broader — covers all phenomena beyond natural laws, not just mental abilities

Antonyms
  • rational

    based on logic and evidence rather than mysterious forces

  • scientific

    based on observation and testing rather than claimed special powers

Grammar Patterns

psychic + noun describing a power or perception

be + psychic

Usage Note

Often used before nouns that name special perceptions or talents, such as powers, ability, sense, feeling, or reading.

Common Mistakes

She has psychological powers that let her predict the future.
She has psychic powers that let her predict the future.
Psychological refers to the scientific study of the mind; psychic refers to claimed supernatural abilities.
The dog seemed to have a psychological bond with its owner.
The dog seemed to have a psychic bond with its owner.
Use psychic for mysterious or unexplainable connections between living things.

2. relating to thoughts, emotions, or mental processes rather than to physical caus

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to thoughts, emotions, or mental processes rather than to physical causes — used especially of medical conditions that have no clear physical explanation

Example

The doctor explained that the patient's chest pains were psychic in origin, not caused by any heart problem.

psychic in origin — formal medical phrasing

Some severe headaches have a psychic rather than a physical cause, linked to stress or anxiety.

psychic rather than physical

Common collocations
  • psychic origin
  • psychic cause
  • psychic disorder
  • psychic pain
  • psychic fatigue
Synonyms
  • mental

    more common in everyday speech; less formal than psychic in this sense

  • psychological

    broader — covers all aspects of mind and behaviour

  • emotional

    narrower — focuses on feelings rather than all mental processes

Antonyms
  • physical

    relating to the body rather than the mind

  • organic

    having a physical cause that can be identified in the body

Grammar Patterns

psychic + noun (especially illness, pain, disorder)

be + psychic in origin

Usage Note

This sense appears mainly in medical or psychological writing. For everyday conversation, psychological or mental is more common when describing conditions of the mind.

Common Mistakes

He was diagnosed with a psychic illness.
He was diagnosed with a mental illness.
Mental illness is the standard term in modern medicine; psychic in this sense sounds old-fashioned.

3. connected with powers, energies, or influences that exist outside the material w

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

connected with powers, energies, or influences that exist outside the material world and cannot be measured or explained by physical science

Example

The philosopher argued that psychic reality is just as important as the material world.

collocation: psychic reality

Rania explored the idea of a universal psychic field that connects all living creatures across the planet.

Common collocations
  • psychic energy
  • psychic reality
  • psychic phenomena
  • psychic field
  • psychic force
Synonyms
  • spiritual

    broader — can include religious beliefs, not just forces beyond physics

  • paranormal

    more formal; preferred in scientific discussions of unexplained phenomena

  • immaterial

    philosophical term for things that have no physical substance

Antonyms
  • physical

    belonging to the material world

  • material

    made of or relating to physical matter

Grammar Patterns

psychic + noun (energy, reality, force, phenomenon)

Usage Note

Common in discussions of alternative spirituality, philosophy, and traditional healing. Avoid using this sense in formal scientific writing, where the term paranormal is preferred.

psychic — noun

IPA/ˈsaɪ.kɪk/
KK[sˈaɪkɪk]IPA/ˈsaɪ.kɪk/

Word family

  • psychically
    adverbC1
  • psyche
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Psychic is the most general term for someone believed to have supernatural mental abilities. A clairvoyant specifically claims to see future events or distant scenes without using the physical senses. A medium claims to communicate with the spirits of people who have died. A telepath claims to read or transmit thoughts directly between minds. A fortune-teller is a less formal term for someone who predicts the future, often for money, and may use tools such as tarot cards or palm lines. While all of these people could be called psychics, the more specific terms tell you what kind of ability they claim. For example, you would visit a medium to contact a deceased relative, but you would see a fortune-teller for a light-hearted prediction about romance or travel.

clairvoyant ↗medium ↗telepath ↗fortune-teller ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • psychic powers
  • psychic ability
  • psychic energy
  • psychic phenomena
  • psychic reading

Adverbs

  • naturally psychic
  • supposedly psychic
  • genuinely psychic

Phrases

  • psychic in origin
  • psychic rather than physical

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

From the Greek word psȳkhikos (ψυχικός), meaning 'of the soul or mind,' which comes from psȳkhē (ψυχή), meaning 'breath, life, soul.' The word entered English through Latin in the mid-1800s. At first it was used only to mean 'relating to the mind or soul.' By the late 19th century, during the rise of spiritualism, it also took on the meaning of 'having supernatural mental abilities.'