second sight

American  

noun

1. the faculty of seeing future events; clairvoyance.

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second sight British  

noun

1. the alleged ability to foresee the future, see actions taking place elsewhere, etc; clairvoyance

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second sight Idioms  

1. Clairvoyance, as in Jane must have second sight; she knew exactly where Dad had mislaid his keys. This expression, alluding to the supposed power of someone to perceive an event in the future or distance as though actually present, dates from the early 1600s.

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Other Word Forms

• second-sighted adjective
• second-sightedness noun
• secondsighted adjective
• secondsightedness noun

Etymology

Origin of second sight

First recorded in 1610–20

Example Sentences

Dairymaids were said to have a kind of second sight, transforming milk into something alive and lasting with nothing more than time, touch, and faith in invisible powers.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2025

Dessers volleyed over Abdallah Sima's cross with his first chance of the game, but the Nigeria international made no mistake with his second sight of goal.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2024

This Agnes is bestowed with not only second sight, but certain modern attitudes and an independence of thought that feel anachronistic.

From Washington Post • Oct. 10, 2020

She is blind, but is known to have second sight, and they challenge her to tell her if the bird is alive or dead.

From New York Times • Aug. 6, 2019

Boyle went on to carry out extensive research into the phenomenon of second sight, which one might describe as the beginnings of parapsychology.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton