telekinesis

T1E1L1E1K5I1N1E1S1I1S1
/ˌtɛləkɪˈniːsɪs/

noun

The ability to move objects, or otherwise interact with physical systems and other phenomena, through the power of one's mind.

Meanings

nountelekinesis (countable and uncountable, plural telekineses)

plural telekineses

  1. uncountableThe ability to move objects, or otherwise interact with physical systems and other phenomena, through the power of one's mind.

    He leant tensely against the corridor wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.

    1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 61
    5 more examples

    Telekinetic energy, which has been variously designated as psychic force (Sir William Crookes), ectenic force (Professor Thury), and telekinesis (Professor Cowes), is demonstrably a power or faculty of the subjective mind.

    1899, Thomson Jay Hudson, The Divine Pedigree of Man, page 154

    And this brings me to a consideration of how the phenomena of telekinesis may conceivably be produced — granting that the phenomena are ever genuine at all.

    1920, Hereward Carrington, The Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism, page 367

    'Venison' he declared, mentally lifting the animal through the air toward him without a second thought to the act, though telekinesis was a spell that hadn't been in the considerable repertoire of Morkai the Red.

    1988, Robert Salvatore, The Crystal Shard, page 39

    She regards telekinesis as impossible and claims for it as generally fraudulent. For two years she worked in a university laboratory testing telekinesis,

    2000, Fred M. Frohock, Lives of the Psychics: The Shared Worlds of Science and Mysticism, page 29

    Perhaps the most famous demonstrations of telekinesis came in the 1970s when a young psychic from Russia named Uri Geller came to prominence for his ability to bend spoons and other metal objects without any physical contact.

    2002, Rita Berkowtiz with Deborah S. Romaine, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Communicating with Spirits, page 187
  2. countableuncountableAn instance of use of such power.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe power to move something by thinking about it without the application of physical force

Broader
psychic phenomenapsychic phenomenonparapsychology

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Catalan telecinesi
  • telecinesiability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Chinese Mandarin 念力, 心靈致動 /心灵致动
  • 念力 (niànlì)ability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
  • 心靈致動 /心灵致动 (xīnlíngzhìdòng)ability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
  • 心靈遙感 /心灵遥感 (xīnlíngyáogǎn)ability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Esperanto telekinezo
  • telekinezoability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Finnish telekinesia
  • telekinesiaability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
French télékinésie
  • télékinésieability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
German Telekinese
  • Telekineseability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Hawaiian kelekinekika
  • kelekinekikaability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Icelandic fjarhreyfing
  • fjarhreyfingability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Italian telecinesi
  • telecinesiability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Japanese テレキネシス, 念力
  • テレキネシス (terekineshisu)ability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
  • 念力 (nenriki)ability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Polish telekineza
  • telekinezaability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Portuguese telecinesia
  • telecinesiaability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Russian телекине́з
  • телекине́з (telekinɛ́z)ability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Spanish telequinesia, telequinesis
  • telequinesiaability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
  • telequinesisability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
  • telekinesisability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
  • telekinesiaability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Swahili telekinesi
  • telekinesiability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Swedish telekinesi
  • telekinesiability to move objects with the power of one's thoughts
Cite this entry
APA

telekinesis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telekinesis

MLA

“telekinesis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telekinesis. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “telekinesis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/telekinesis.

Source: telekinesis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.