clairvoyance

noun clair·voy·ance \ kler-ˈvȯi-ən(t)s \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of clairvoyance

1 : the power or faculty of discerning objects not present to the senses

2 : ability to perceive matters beyond the range of ordinary perception : penetration

The fortune-teller practices clairvoyance when she gazes into a crystal ball to see her client's future.

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Examples of clairvoyance in a Sentence

I don't believe in clairvoyance, but I can't explain how he knew those things about my grandmother.
people who claim to have clairvoyance are sometimes asked to help locate missing persons

Recent Examples of clairvoyance from the Web

Sotdae Saju Cafe offers clairvoyance with cocktails.

— The Economist, "Prophets and profitsIn South Korea fortune-telling will soon be a $3.7bn business," 24 Feb. 2018
The main focus of his new religion focused on mediumship, and the ability to experience unconscious hallucinations and attain clairvoyance.

— sarah betancourt, Longreads, "The Religion No One Talks About: My Search For Answers in an Old Caribbean Faith," 30 Mar. 2018
Paik Woon-san, head of the Association of Korean Prophets, estimates that there are over 300,000 fortune-tellers in the country, and 150,000 shamans, many of whom provide clairvoyance.

— The Economist, "Prophets and profitsIn South Korea fortune-telling will soon be a $3.7bn business," 24 Feb. 2018
Khoury's clairvoyance rested on the knowledge that Hafez al-Assad and Saddam Hussein had used their many decades in power to build elaborate moukhabarat (security service) structures that only masqueraded as states.

— chicagotribune.com, "Baathism caused the chaos in Iraq and Syria," 7 Mar. 2018
Imagine the possibility that these moments of clairvoyance occur simply because of a glitch in your mind's time logs.

— adam bear, Washington Post, "You think you’re clairvoyant, but your brain is just tricking you," 6 Mar. 2018
In Pisces, your psychic abilities are amplified, so don't be surprised when this lunation triggers clairvoyance.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What March's Aries Horoscope Means for You," 28 Feb. 2018
The most logical explanation for the Simpsons' clairvoyance?

— michael mcgough, sacbee, "U.S. men win gold in Olympic curling, but 'The Simpsons' did it first | The Sacramento Bee," 24 Feb. 2018
Selfless, seamless, with a seeming collective clairvoyance on offense, the Wildcats are capable of taking apart anybody’s defense.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty: Villanova rolled, and Xavier didn't stand a chance," 17 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clairvoyance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.