psychical
UK[ˈsaɪkɪk(ə)l]US[ˈsaɪkɪk(ə)l]
adj
Relating to phenomena or abilities that seem to be beyond physical or scientific explanation, such as telepathy or clairvoyance.
adj
Relating to the mind or soul; mental or spiritual.
Morpheme Breakdown
psych
ical
psych
mind, soul
ical
adjective-forming suffix
Etymology
The word "psychical" is built upon the ancient Greek concept of psychē, which originally denoted "breath" as the vital principle and animating force of life. This evolved to encompass the abstract ideas of the soul, spirit, and mind. Combined with the Latin-derived adjectival suffix "-ical", the term literally means "pertaining to the soul or mind". In modern usage, this connection to the non-physical realm specifically narrowed to describe phenomena believed to originate from or affect the mind in a way that transcends known physical laws, giving rise to its primary association with parapsychology.
Analysis
Structure: psych (mind, soul) + ical (adjective-forming suffix)
- psych: From Greek psychē (ψυχή), meaning "breath, spirit, soul, mind". It functions as the core root conveying the concept of the non-physical essence.
- ical: A suffix of Latin origin (-icalis), used to form adjectives meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by". It modifies the root to create a descriptive term.
Examples
She claimed to have psychical abilities that allowed her to communicate with spirits.
The study aimed to investigate psychical research outside the boundaries of conventional science.
His interest was more in the psychical aspects of human experience than the purely physiological.