paranormal
Americanadjective
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of paranormal
Explanation
Use the adjective paranormal to talk about things that are outside of normal experience, like ESP, ghosts, and UFOs. You might describe your friend's uncanny ability to bend spoons with her mind as paranormal, or beyond a scientific explanation. While many people don't believe in any kind of paranormal events, there are those who see or hear things they can't explain rationally. The Greek word para, "against, or contrary to," is paired up with normal: if it goes against what's normal, you can probably describe it as paranormal.
Vocabulary lists containing paranormal
Friday the 13th
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Trowbridge Road
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Paola Santiago and the River of Tears
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She is a regular guest on BBC podcast After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal, and her first non-fiction book, Morgue, will be published in the UK and US in 2027.
From BBC • Oct. 10, 2025
“Despite centuries of scientific and social progress, we remain, at our most intimate level, believers,” writes author Marc Fitch in Paranormal Nation: Why America Needs Ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot.
From Scientific American • Jun. 27, 2023
Travel Channel spokeswoman Caryn Davidson Schlossberg, who is also director of communications for shows in the Paranormal & Unexplained genre on the Discovery Plus streaming platform, said network executives were not available for an interview.
From Washington Post • Oct. 27, 2022
Sharon Hill, the author of the 2017 book “Scientifical Americans: The Culture of Amateur Paranormal Researchers,” added that “many are no longer fearful of ghosts because we’ve been so habituated to them by the media.”
From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2022
Fans of queer cartoons should make sure to clear their schedules for the arrival of “Dead End: Paranormal Park.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
