What does clairvoyance mean?
Clairvoyance is the alleged ability to gain information about people, objects, or events through means other than the ordinary five senses — often described as a kind of supernatural 'second sight.' The word comes from French and literally translates as 'clear seeing.' It is most commonly used in connection with spiritualism, fortune-telling, and psychic phenomena: a medium might be said to possess powers of clairvoyance, or a claim of clairvoyance may be tested under laboratory conditions. Because such abilities have never been scientifically demonstrated, the term often appears in skeptical contexts as well. Figuratively, clairvoyance can describe exceptional foresight or insight, as when a commentator seems almost clairvoyant about political trends. The word functions as a noun and pairs naturally with the related form clairvoyant, which names both the adjective and the person said to have the gift.
nounThe supposed faculty of perceiving events or objects beyond the range of normal sensory contact, especially by extrasensory means.
- The supposed paranormal ability to perceive distant or future events or hidden objects without using the known senses.
- (Less commonly, figuratively) Exceptional insight or perceptiveness into a situation.
"She claimed to have clairvoyance, insisting she had seen the accident before it happened."
"The medium's apparent clairvoyance drew crowds of curious skeptics to the séance."
"Her business decisions showed an almost uncanny clairvoyance about where markets were heading."
Clairvoyance is an uncountable mass noun and has no standard plural.
The word literally means 'clear seeing' in French — but no experiment has ever scientifically verified that anyone can do it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clairvoyance
Clairvoyance was borrowed from French, where it combines 'clair,' meaning clear, with 'voyance,' meaning sight or vision, from the Latin verb videre, to see. The term entered English usage in the nineteenth century, during the height of interest in spiritualism and psychical research. Its components also appear in English words like clarity and clear on one side and voyage (from Latin viaticum, via the sense of travel) on the other, making 'clear-seeing' a fitting literal description of what the word claims to name.
Related word forms
How clairvoyance is actually used
The word belongs primarily to discussions of the paranormal and spiritualism and carries a skeptical or neutral register depending on context. In figurative use — describing remarkable foresight or insight — it usually implies admiration. It is a mass (uncountable) noun; 'a clairvoyance' is not idiomatic, though the adjective/noun 'clairvoyant' refers to a person who possesses the ability.
Easily confused with clairvoyance
Clairvoyance is the supposed ability to 'see' things beyond normal sight, while clairaudience refers to the supposed ability to 'hear' things beyond normal hearing.