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The Meaning of Clairvoyant Is Clear
In French, "clairvoyant" literally means "clear-seeing," mentally or optically. The term made a brief appearance in English in the 17th century, as an adjective suggesting a keen sense of perception, but it did not become firmly established in the language until the 19th century. Today we most often apply this adjective to someone who essentially has ESP, an unexplainable ability to know or perceive things that others cannot. (We also now use "clairvoyant" as a noun for a person who has this ability.) But although "clairvoyant" is nearly always used in the ESP sense these days, the allusion to special powers frequently isn't dead serious. ("Are you clairvoyant? How did you know I was going to wear my flamingo shirt?")
Examples of clairvoyant in a Sentence
Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
In it, Dakota Johnson stars as a New York paramedic with clairvoyant powers.
—Jake Coyle, Quartz, 18 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clairvoyant 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clairvoyant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Clairvoyant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clairvoyant. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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clairvoyant
1 of 2 adjective
clairvoyant
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