psychic
/ˈsaɪkɪk/
adjective
Origin
Ancient Greek
psukhē — soul, spirit, breath, life
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to the mind, soul, or spirit.
- Relating to or involving phenomena that are inexplicable by natural laws, such as telepathy or clairvoyance.
- Possessing extrasensory perception (ESP).
Literal older meaning
Of or relating to the soul/mind
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
psychic
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term originally belonged to the realm of philosophy and medicine, describing matters of the soul or mind. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the rise of Spiritualism, the term's usage expanded significantly to encompass paranormal abilities like mediumship and telepathy.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
psukhikos
“of the soul”
Derived from psukhē
- Late Latin
psychicus
“pertaining to the soul”
Borrowed from Greek into Latin contexts
- Modern English
psychic
“relating to mental phenomena or extrasensory abilities”
Shift from purely philosophical/psychological to include paranormal connotations
Connections
Word parts
psych-
root
soul or mind
-ic
suffix
relating to
Related across languages
Sanskrit
soul/self (semantic cognate context)
Explore next
Related to psychic
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.