Clairaudience
/ˌklɛərəˈɔːdiəns/noun
The claimed paranormal ability to hear voices or sounds beyond the normal range of sensory perception.
Did you know?Clairaudience became part of Spiritualist and occult vocabulary in the 19th century, alongside clairvoyance, as mediums described different supposed channels of supernatural perception.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kelh₁-
“To be clear, bright, or loud; the ancient root behind the idea of something made perceptible.”
Classical Latin
Latin
clārus
“Clear, bright, distinct, or renowned.”
Classical Latin
Latin
audīre
“To hear or listen.”
19th Century
French
clairaudience
“A formation meaning “clear hearing,” modeled on clairvoyance and related occult terminology.”
19th Century
English
clairaudience
“The alleged psychic faculty of hearing supernatural communications.”
Modern English
English
clairaudience
“A paranormal or mediumistic form of supposed extrasensory hearing.”