ENGLISH
REFERENCE

psychic

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsaɪkɪk// UK //sˈaɪkɪk// psy·chic

n. a person who claims to have special mental powers. They say they can see the future or talk to people who have died.

n. a person who claims to possess extrasensory perception or supernatural mental abilities. Often used to describe individuals who perform divinations or communicate with the deceased.


SIMPLE

The psychic told her she would meet someone new soon.

CONTEXTUAL

After losing her keys for the third time, she jokingly suggested visiting a psychic to find them.

COMPLEX

While skeptics dismiss the practice as cold reading, many people still consult a psychic for emotional closure after the death of a loved one.

Synonyms
Origin

From Ancient Greek ψυχικός (psukhikós, “relative to the soul, spirit, mind”). Earlier referred to as "psychical"; or from Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “soul, mind, psyche”). First appeared (as substantive) 1871 and first records 1895.

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