psychic

1 of 2

adjective

psy·​chic ˈsī-kik How to pronounce psychic (audio)
variants or less commonly psychical
1
: of or relating to the psyche : psychogenic
2
: lying outside the sphere of physical science or knowledge : immaterial, moral, or spiritual in origin or force
3
: sensitive to nonphysical or supernatural forces and influences : marked by extraordinary or mysterious sensitivity, perception, or understanding
psychically adverb

psychic

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a person apparently sensitive to nonphysical forces
2
: psychic phenomena

Examples of psychic in a Sentence

Adjective She claims to be psychic. Noun She claims to be a psychic. a celebrity psychic who managed to convince at least some people that their deceased loved ones were using him to relay messages
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
But as Cotillard finds her literal voice, these self-conscious details of process fall away, and the actor’s evocation of Carole’s mounting psychic pain turns immersive and entirely upsetting. Guy Lodge, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Often these VOs contain psychic conversations between two characters, a technique Villeneuve uses several times in Part Two, as between Feyd (Austin Butler) and Lady Fenring (Léa Seydoux). Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 Viscerally depicting the psychic gulf between methods of massacre and their creators is not simple in a medium like film. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Back in high school a friend had called me Matt Damon in the drawl of Team America, but the connection to Tom Ripley felt more psychic, fundamental. Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024 The film acknowledges the singer’s concerns with the country’s escalating political violence in the ’70s — a decade after gaining independence from the British — but shies away from exploring the collective psychic scars of that domination or the realities of a nascent national project. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024 My psychic realm is currently filled with nothing but echoes, clamor of unappeased and half-squelched fury, fear and bafflement. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 His remarks at a northeast Iowa rally one day after the school shooting in rural Perry killed an 11-year-old boy and the high school principal had landed like salt in the Mother Emanuel congregation’s psychic wound. Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Members of the Psychic Access community can now access cutting-edge psychic insights and spiritual guidance without compromising their on-the-go lifestyles. Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024
Noun
Then more news and a few more talk shows, in which a KGB combat psychic predicts Russia’s future and what will happen on the front. Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024 Amy Schumer booked a recognizable psychic for the second season of her Hulu series Life & Beth. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024 This gem and mineral show features minerals, crystals, beads, gems and jewelry, plus healers, psychics, aura readers and masseuses. Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2024 But the crowds remain, as do the guitarists, craft stalls and psychics. Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 About Psychic Access, Inc.: Psychic Access, Inc. is a pioneering platform in the spiritual guidance industry, providing users with access to skilled and experienced psychics. Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024 Users can now seamlessly listen to the bios of their favorite psychics and gain a deeper understanding of their unique skills, specialties, and professional backgrounds. Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024 The thing that struck me watching Look Into My Eyes is that the customers and psychics are there for similar reasons. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2024 During the film, which consists of consultations between psychics and their clients, as well as diving into the personal lives of the psychics themselves, emotions were up and down as the mediums acted as de facto therapists to many people who didn’t know where to turn. William Earl, Variety, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'psychic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Greek psychikos of the soul, from psychē soul

First Known Use

Adjective

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of psychic was in 1645

Dictionary Entries Near psychic

Cite this Entry

“Psychic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

psychic

1 of 2 adjective
psy·​chic ˈsī-kik How to pronounce psychic (audio)
variants also psychical
1
: of or relating to the psyche
2
: not physical
especially : not to be explained by knowledge of natural laws
3
: sensitive to influences or forces believed to come from beyond the natural world
psychically adverb

psychic

2 of 2 noun
: a psychic person (as a medium)

Medical Definition

psychic

1 of 2 adjective
psy·​chic ˈsī-kik How to pronounce psychic (audio)
variants also psychical
1
: of or relating to the psyche : psychogenic
2
: sensitive to nonphysical or supernatural forces and influences
psychically adverb

psychic

2 of 2 noun
: a person apparently sensitive to nonphysical forces

More from Merriam-Webster on psychic

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