Clairvoyant is an adjective describing a person or insight believed to see beyond the ordinary senses, especially predicting the future or perceiving hidden information. It denotes perceptive, extrasensory awareness and often carries a slightly mystical or dubious connotation depending on context. In practice, it describes abilities or statements that seem to reveal unseen truths with accuracy beyond ordinary means.
"The clairvoyant told them precisely when to expect a breakthrough."
"Some readers claim the clairvoyant could glimpse future events with uncanny clarity."
"Skeptics question the reliability of clairvoyant readings in any given situation."
"Her clairvoyant observations about market trends surprised even seasoned investors."
Clairvoyant comes from French clair (meaning clear) and voyant (meaning seeing). The word entered English via the French phrase clairvoyant literally meaning 'clear-sighted' or 'clear seeing' in the early modern period. The roots are Latin-based: clair from Old French cler, from Latin clarus meaning bright or clear; voyant from French voir meaning to see, derived from Latin videre. The sense expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries with spiritualist and occult movements, where clairvoyance referred to purported extrasensory perception, especially visions of future events or hidden information. First known use in English can be traced to translations of French occult literature and philosophical discussions about sight beyond ordinary perception; by the 19th century the term had become fairly established in both academic and popular discourse. In contemporary usage, clairvoyant often appears in journalistic, literary, and paranormal contexts, sometimes with pejorative overtones when skepticism is implied. The term maintains a nuanced register, capable of describing legitimate literary foreshadowing or skeptical claims about psychic abilities depending on context.
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Words that rhyme with "Clairvoyant"
-ant sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You say /ˈklɛərˌvwaɪənt/ in UK, /ˈklɜːrˌvaɪənt/ in US. Start with CLAIR as in 'claire' (fronted, lips spread) then VOY-ant: VY-unt with the 'voy' sounding like 'voy' in 'voyage' and ending with 'ant'. The rhythm: first syllable bears primary stress, with a light secondary on the second syllable. Imagine saying 'Claire-VOY-ant' swiftly. For audio reference, you can compare to native speaker samples on Pronounce or Forvo.
Two common errors: 1) Merging the sandhi between 'clair' and 'voy' into a single smoother glide, producing /ˈklɪəˌvəŋənt/ or /ˈklɑːˌvɜːnt/. Correct this by keeping a distinct break: /ˈklɛərˌvwaɪənt/ (or /ˈklɜːrˌvaɪənt/ US). 2) Mispronouncing 'voy' as 'voi' like 'voi-l' rather than 'voy' with the /ɔɪ/ diphthong; ensure /ɔɪ/ as in 'boy' follows the /v/ after the /r/ or /ɜːr/. Practice minimal pairs and stress placement.
US typically uses /ˈklɜːrˌvaɪənt/ with rhotic /ɜr/ and clearer /ɪə/ for the 'clair' portion; UK uses /ˈklɛːˌvɔɪənt/ with a longer /ɛː/ and non-rhotic influence; Australian approximates US/UK blends: /ˈklæɜːˌvɔɪənt/ or /ˈklɛəˌvɔɪənt/ with vowel quality shifting toward the front. The key difference is rhoticity (US /ɜr/ vs. non-rhotic UK /ɜː/ or /eə/ in some accents) and the 'clair' vowel quality, which may shift toward /ɛə/ in some varieties.
The difficulty lies in the two-part structure: the 'clair' vowel sequence /ɛər/ that can be realized as a triphthong or diphthong, and the 'voy' diphthong /ɔɪ/ which requires moving from mid-back to high-front tongue positions. The rapid transition between /ˈklɛər/ and /ˌvwaɪ/ can blur in connected speech, and the final /ənt/ can reduce to an unstressed schwa. Paying attention to the boundary between the syllables and the exact diphthongs makes it clearer.
Clairvoyant combines a French-origin prefix 'clair' with an English root 'voyant,' creating a cross-language vowel pattern. The /ˈklɛər/ or /ˈklɜːr/ onset contains a tricky /ɛə/ or rhotic /ɜr/, and the /ˌvwaɪənt/ part requires a precise /v/ + /waɪ/ + /ənt/ sequence. Its syllable break and multi-language influence create common mismatches, especially for non-native speakers who apply a single-language rule to both components.
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