What does clairaudience mean?
Clairaudience is a noun denoting the supposed ability to hear voices, sounds, or messages that lie beyond the reach of ordinary perception — often described as hearing spirits, distant events, or an inner voice with paranormal origin. The term was coined in nineteenth-century spiritualist circles on the model of clairvoyance ('clear seeing'), combining the French prefix clair- ('clear') with Latin-derived audientia, 'hearing'. It is used almost exclusively in discussions of psychical research, spiritualism, mediumship, and New Age practice, where mediums may describe their experiences as gifts of clairaudience. Because the faculty has never been demonstrated under controlled conditions, careful writers frequently qualify the term as 'alleged' or 'supposed'. Its closest companion is clairvoyance, from which it differs only in the sense involved: hearing rather than sight. Clairaudience remains a useful word for anyone writing about paranormal claims, occult literature, or the history of spiritualism, offering a precise label for auditory forms of extrasensory experience.
nounThe supposed faculty of hearing things beyond the normal range of perception, such as voices or sounds said to come from spirits or distant events.
- The alleged paranormal ability to hear sounds, voices, or messages not audible through normal hearing.
"She claimed her clairaudience allowed her to hear messages that no one else in the room could perceive."
"During the séance, the medium attributed her insights to clairaudience rather than any visible visions."
"He described his clairaudience as hearing a distinct inner voice that seemed to originate outside himself."
Clairaudience literally means 'clear hearing' — the same 'clair-' found in clairvoyance — making it one of a small family of words coined in the 19th century to name specific psychic senses.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clairaudience
Clairaudience was formed in the nineteenth century within English-language spiritualist and psychical-research vocabulary, combining the French clair ('clear') with the Latin root audire ('to hear'), via the same audientia element seen in 'audience'. It parallels its older sibling clairvoyance, which entered English earlier in the same century, and belongs to a family of 'clair-' terms including clairsentience. The coinage reflects the era's effort to give distinct names to each purported extrasensory sense.
Related word forms
How clairaudience is actually used
The word belongs chiefly to spiritualist, parapsychological, and New Age vocabulary and carries no standing in scientific psychology. It is typically used neutrally by believers but may carry sceptical connotations elsewhere; writers often hedge with terms like 'supposed' or 'alleged'.
Easily confused with clairaudience
Clairvoyance refers to supposedly seeing what is hidden or distant, whereas clairaudience refers to supposedly hearing it.