Clairvoyant is an adjective meaning having the ability to see beyond the range of ordinary perception, or relating to the faculty of discerning objects not present. It literally means 'clear-seeing' in French.
Clairvoyant es un adjetivo que significa tener la capacidad de ver más allá de la percepción ordinaria, o relacionado con la facultad de percibir cosas no presentes. Literalmente significa "visión clara" en francés.
| Word | clairvoyant |
|---|---|
| Date | November 27, 2007 |
| Type | adjective |
| Syllables | klair-VOI-unt |
| Etymology | 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?") *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. |
| Examples | Minna has such an uncanny ability to predict which books will be bestsellers, I'd swear she's clairvoyant. |
| Definition | 1 : having the ability to see beyond the range of ordinary perception 2 : of or relating to the power or faculty of discerning objects not present to the senses |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
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