What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
prescience
Example
The author's prescience about the political climate was evident in his writing. [prescience: noun]
Example
She had a prescient feeling that something bad was going to happen. [prescient: adjective]
clairvoyance
Example
The psychic claimed to have clairvoyant abilities and could see into the future. [clairvoyant: adjective]
Example
She had a moment of clairvoyance and knew exactly what her friend was thinking. [clairvoyance: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Prescience and clairvoyance are both relatively uncommon in everyday language, but prescience is more likely to be encountered in formal or literary contexts.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between prescience and clairvoyance?
Prescience is generally considered more formal than clairvoyance, which is often associated with paranormal or supernatural phenomena and may be viewed as less credible in formal settings.