telepathic

IPA/ˌtelɪˈpæθɪk/
KK[tˌɛləpˈæθək]IPA/ˌtelɪˈpæθɪk/

telepathic — adjective

  • telepathicpositive
  • more telepathiccomparative
  • most telepathicsuperlative

1. able to understand another person's thoughts or send thoughts directly to them,

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

able to understand another person's thoughts or send thoughts directly to them, without speaking, writing, or using any physical signals

Example

Mei felt a telepathic connection with her twin brother even when they were far apart.

collocation: telepathic connection

Some characters in the novel are telepathic and can read the thoughts of anyone nearby.

Common collocations
  • telepathic connection
  • telepathic communication
  • telepathic message
  • telepathic powers
  • telepathic link
  • telepathic ability
Synonyms
  • psychic

    broader term that includes telepathy plus other abilities such as seeing the future or sensing hidden events

  • clairvoyant

    refers specifically to perceiving remote or future events, not necessarily reading thoughts

  • mind-reading

    informal synonym focused specifically on knowing another person's thoughts

Usage Note

Telepathic is only used as an adjective. The noun form is telepathy (e.g., 'She has telepathy,' not 'She is a telepathic').

Common Mistakes

She is a telepathic.
She is telepathic.
telepathic is an adjective, not a noun.

Word family

  • telepathy
    nounC1
  • telepathically
    adverbC2
  • telepath
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Telepathic, psychic, clairvoyant, and mind-reading all relate to perceiving information beyond the normal senses, but they differ in scope. Telepathic refers specifically to sending or receiving thoughts between minds. Psychic is the broadest term, covering telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and other paranormal abilities. Clairvoyant focuses on seeing distant or future events — a clairvoyant might describe a disaster happening elsewhere, while a telepathic person reads the thoughts of someone in the same room. Mind-reading is the most informal and narrowly means knowing someone else's current thoughts, with no implication of sending thoughts or other psychic powers. For example: 'The telepathic twins could silently discuss what to have for dinner,' versus 'The psychic claimed she could contact spirits.'

psychic ↗clairvoyant ↗mind-reading

Common collocations

Phrases

  • telepathic connection
  • telepathic communication
  • telepathic message
  • telepathic powers
  • telepathic link
  • telepathic ability
  • telepathic bond

Etymology

GreekEnglish

Telepathic was formed in the late 1800s from the noun telepathy, which was coined in 1882 by the psychologist Frederic Myers from the Greek roots tele- ('far, at a distance') and pathos ('feeling, emotion'). The original idea was 'feeling at a distance,' and the word was first used by the Society for Psychical Research to describe the communication of thoughts between minds without using the known senses.