'parapsychology' originates from Greek-derived elements: the prefix 'para-' (from Greek 'para-', meaning 'beside' or 'beyond') combined with 'psychology' (from Greek 'psukhē' meaning 'soul' or 'mind' + '-logy' meaning 'study').

'parapsychology' was formed in modern European languages in the late 19th century (German 'Parapsychologie' appeared in writings of that period) and was adopted into English as 'parapsychology' in the early 20th century.

Initially coined to indicate study 'beside' or 'beyond' conventional psychology, the term evolved to denote specifically the investigation (often controversial or disputed) of alleged paranormal phenomena.