clairvoyant

[ klair-voi-uhnt ]

adjective

1. having or claiming to have the power of seeing objects or actions beyond the range of natural vision:

   Not being clairvoyant, I did not foresee the danger of ignoring her advice.

   Synonyms: prophetic, empathetic, intuitive, visionary, prescient, psychic

2. of, by, or pertaining to clairvoyance:

   Unlike more talented witches, I had to make do with love potions and occasional clairvoyant visions.

noun

1. a clairvoyant person:

   A clever clairvoyant could make a fortune in the stock market.

   Synonyms: seer, medium, fortune-teller, diviner, visionary, prophet, empath, telepathist, psychic

clairvoyant

/ klɛəˈvɔɪənt /

adjective

1. of, possessing, or relating to clairvoyance
2. having great insight or second sight

noun

1. a person claiming to have the power to foretell future events

Derived Forms

• clairˈvoyantly, adverb

Other Words From

• clair·voy·ant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of clairvoyant¹

First recorded in 1665–75; from French: literally, “clear seeing,” equivalent to clair “clear, clearly ”+ voyant “seeing” (present participle of voir “to see,” from Latin vidēre ); clear ( def ), wit, -ant ( def )

Example Sentences

Television Network, where he exhibited his clairvoyant skills for a wide range of celebrities.

From Washington Blade

Ed and Lorraine Warren, he a “demonologist” and she a clairvoyant, spent their lives investigating and combating the supernatural, which made them ideal protagonists for The Conjuring movie franchise based on their work.

From The Daily Beast

Some choose to believe that these clairvoyants have other worldly insights that most people do not.

From Everything After Z

While some of these doctors were legitimate and extremely skilled, the term clairvoyant physician was generally used to describe your typical 19th-century quack.

From Everything After Z

I don’t think anybody was clairvoyant enough, wise enough to think that far down the road this was going to be a consequence.

From Freakonomics

The “clairvoyant camel” has picked Argentina over Germany in the World Cup final.

From The Daily Beast

Because the former commissioner at the center of the “newly re-burgeoning” IRS “scandal” is clearly a clairvoyant.

From The Daily Beast

The faculty members here are neither clairvoyant nor peering over shoulders.

From The Daily Beast

It's not Dickens' finest work, but it may be one of his most clairvoyant.

From The Daily Beast

It seemed as if Michel, in his own clairvoyant way, was already preparing to write Bush's memoirs.

From The Daily Beast

Debussy is a man of unhampered and clairvoyant imagination, a dreamer with a far-wandering vision.

From Project Gutenberg

Before he had time to fly, one of them, with the rapidity of an arrow, struck his clairvoyant eye with a stick and burst it.

From Project Gutenberg

According to these words Ezekiel was either an out-and-out deceiver, a wicked man, or, he was a clairvoyant.

From Project Gutenberg

The clairvoyant added that he would probably live to a great age and die in a foreign land—a prophecy which did not comfort him.

From Project Gutenberg

With her face hidden by a thick vail, and accompanied by her maid she went to visit the clairvoyant who was spoken of so highly.

From Project Gutenberg