psionic adj.
relating to or involving psychic or paranormal phenomena or powers; having psychic ability; cf. psi n., psionics n.
Paranormal
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1951 Man From Outside in Astounding Science Fiction Mar. 130/1
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Jack Williamson
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The psionic translators rendered his name as Bowman, but its original clicking consonants were unpronounceable.
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1951 Peddler’s Nose in Astounding Science Fiction Apr. 39/2
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Jack Williamson
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The man spoke a harsh-sounding tongue he had never heard before, but the psionic translator, a tiny device no more conspicuous than the native’s hearing aid, brought the meaning to him instantly.
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1951 Peddler’s Nose in Astounding Science Fiction Apr. 44/1
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Jack Williamson
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The bright psionic labels looked blank at first, but they came to shining life under the eyes of the children, responding to the thoughts of each.
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1967 Counter-Clock World (1990) 52
Philip K. Dick
Like Seb he, too, was undoubtedly slightly psionic.
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1979 Way of Cross & Dragon in T. Shippey Oxford Book of Science Fiction (1992) 468
George R. R. Martin
The Church teaches that the psionic powers are one of Satan’s traps.
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1982 Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Ethic of Freedom in T. Staicar Feminine Eye (1982) vii. 73
Have psionic talents been bred into the human line?
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1983 Triangle v.31
Sondra Marshak
Myrna Culbreath
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He had about as much psionic sensitivity as a potato.
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1983 Jhereg Introd. 5
There had been a time…when the lighting of a candle would have left me too weak even for psionic communication.
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1985 Dwellers in the Crucible i. 24
Margaret Wander Bonanno
His psionic impulses exploded dangerously into her consciousness.
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1986 Mindshadow iii.72
J. M. Dillard
As a result of losing the mind rules, his psionic rating has increased.
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2013 Best of All Possible Worlds 233
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Karen Lord
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I suppose, from what Nasiha tries to teach me and from what I’ve read of the mindships, that’s how the Sadiri mind works. You extend your awareness of yourself beyond the boundaries of your physical body. It’s generally a benign psionic influence—case in point, when you took over the parts of my body that were not under my conscious control and helped me to heal faster.
Research requirements
antedating 1951
Earliest cite
J. Williamson 'Man from Outside'
Research History
Rick Hauptmann submitted a 1951 cite from Jack Williamson's "The Peddler's Nose".Bee Ostrowsky submitted a 2013 cite from Karen Lord.
Earliest cite in the OED2: 1952; OED Online now updated to the 1951 Williamson example.
Last modified 2024-11-17 00:09:25
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entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
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