parapsychologist
|pa-ra-psy-chol-o-gist|
🇺🇸
/ˌpærəˌsaɪˈkɑlədʒɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˌpærəˌsaɪˈkɒlədʒɪst/
investigator of paranormal mental phenomena
Etymology
'parapsychologist' originates from Greek and modern scientific formation: the prefix 'para-' from Greek 'para' meaning 'beside' or 'beyond', the root 'psychē' meaning 'soul, mind', and the suffix '-logist' from Greek 'logia' meaning 'study (one who studies)'.
'parapsychologist' was formed from the noun 'parapsychology' (coined in the late 19th to early 20th century) with the agentive suffix '-ist', and thus became the English word 'parapsychologist'.
Initially it denoted 'a person involved in the study of phenomena beyond normal psychological explanation', and it has retained that basic meaning into modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who studies or practices parapsychology, the investigation of paranormal phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, psychokinesis, and life after death.
The parapsychologist conducted experiments to test claims of telepathy.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/25 14:45