clairvoyant

1 of 2

adjective

clair·​voy·​ant kler-ˈvȯi-ənt How to pronounce clairvoyant (audio)
1
: having clairvoyance : able to see beyond the range of ordinary perception
claims to be clairvoyant
2
: of or relating to clairvoyance
clairvoyant powers
the clairvoyant revelations of a medium
clairvoyantly adverb

clairvoyant

2 of 2

noun

: one having the power of clairvoyance

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The origin story of the evil spirit Valak from The Conjuring 2, The Nun stars Taissa Farmiga (sister of Vera) as Irene, a young novitiate and clairvoyant summoned to a convent to investigate a fellow nun’s suicide. Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023 Upon finding out the house is haunted, the two enlist the help of a psychic (Haddish), a priest (Owen Wilson), a paranormal tour guide (LaKeith Stanfield), a historian (Danny DeVito) and the clairvoyant Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis) to cleanse their new abode of its cursed spirits. Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023 Later in the episode, Raven-Symoné recalled connecting with relatives on her mother’s side through an emotional psychic session with clairvoyant Henry in 2016. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023 Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen Ashley Greene played the caring, clairvoyant vampire Alice Cullen in her breakout role. Alexia Fernández, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2023 But while Davis’ warnings proved almost clairvoyant, IVOL hasn’t grabbed the brass ring. Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2023 Naive individuals in the early stages of their IT careers may think that CIOs are clairvoyant oracles who conceive and implement revolutionary technology initiatives that transform the business prospects of their companies. Mark Settle, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023 Like its fellow water signs, Cancer and Pisces, Scorpio is extremely clairvoyant and intuitive. Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 31 July 2020 Eggleston’s pictures are clairvoyant. Vulture, 6 Jan. 2023
Noun
Madame Web? Johnson plays the titular clairvoyant, with Sweeney as Julia Carpenter, a.k.a. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 31 July 2023 Upon finding out the house is haunted, the two enlist the help of a priest (Wilson), a psychic (Tiffany Haddish), a paranormal tour guide (Stanfield), a historian (Danny DeVito) and Curtis’ clairvoyant Madame Leota to expel their new abode of its cursed spirits. Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2023 During the third and fourth centuries ad, when the ancient world was shaken to its core and everything was changing, there were so many astrologers, clairvoyants, and soothsayers that the popes took fright. Olga Tokarczuk, Harper's Magazine, 6 Jan. 2023 Is there a difference between a psychic medium and a clairvoyant? Dallas News, 29 Aug. 2022 Wendell and Wild reunites beloved duo Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key as titular demon brothers Wendell (Key) and Wild (Peele), wreaking havoc and ultimately striking against the prison industrial complex with the help of punk clairvoyant Kat and her new friend, trans artist Raúl. Lindsay Lee Wallace, SELF, 20 Dec. 2022 One of the children is a clairvoyant. Steve Smith, courant.com, 23 July 2021 Meanwhile, a clairvoyant is someone who can see into the future and provide fortune-telling services. Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2022 What’s the difference between a psychic medium and a clairvoyant? Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2022 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French, from clair clear (from Latin clarus) + voyant, present participle of voir to see, from Latin vidēre — more at wit

First Known Use

Adjective

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clairvoyant was in 1844

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Dictionary Entries Near clairvoyant

Cite this Entry

“Clairvoyant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clairvoyant. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

clairvoyant

1 of 2 adjective
clair·​voy·​ant kla(ə)r-ˈvȯi-ənt How to pronounce clairvoyant (audio)
kle(ə)r-
: of, relating to, or having clairvoyance

clairvoyant

2 of 2 noun
: a person who has clairvoyance

Medical Definition

clairvoyant

1 of 2 adjective
clair·​voy·​ant -ənt How to pronounce clairvoyant (audio)
: of or relating to clairvoyance

clairvoyant

2 of 2 noun
: one having the power of clairvoyance
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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