supernatural

[soo-per-nach-er-uhl, -nach-ruhl]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; abnormal.

2. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.

3. of a superlative degree; preternatural.

   a missile of supernatural speed.

4. of, relating to, or attributed to ghosts, goblins, or other unearthly beings; eerie; occult.

noun

1. a being, place, object, occurrence, etc., considered as supernatural or of supernatural origin; that which is supernatural, or outside the natural order.

2. behavior supposedly caused by the intervention of supernatural beings.

3. direct influence or action of a deity on earthly affairs.

4. the supernatural,

   1. supernatural beings, behavior, and occurrences collectively.

   2. supernatural forces and the supernatural plane of existence.

      a deep fear of the supernatural.

supernatural

/ -ˈnætʃərəl, ˌsuːpəˈnætʃrəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to things that cannot be explained according to natural laws

2. characteristic of or caused by or as if by a god; miraculous

3. of, involving, or ascribed to occult beings

4. exceeding the ordinary; abnormal

noun

1. supernatural forces, occurrences, and beings collectively or their realm

Other Word Forms

• supernaturally adverb
• supernaturalness noun
• antisupernatural adjective
• semisupernatural adjective
• semisupernaturally adverb
• semisupernaturalness noun
• unsupernatural adjective
• unsupernaturally adverb
• unsupernaturalness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of supernatural¹

From the Medieval Latin word supernātūrālis, dating back to 1520–30. See super-, natural

Synonym Study

See miraculous.

Example Sentences

Those who will never believe in the supernatural.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Beneath the supernatural grotesqueries, Mr. King reflects on the mundane horrors—insularity, seediness and dead ends—of American small-town life.

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It makes for an epic of extraordinary abundance, one that occupies an uncharted border region of history and supernatural invention.

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Once Shyamalan characterized his vision as a “supernatural love story,” Sparks thought, “I can do that. It’s not so wildly outside what I do. Something Lovecraftian with different dimensions.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Over at the Thom Browne show earlier in the day, things took a supernatural turn with the appearance of an alien outdoors.

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Related Words

• celestial 
• fairy 
• ghostly 
• heavenly 
• metaphysical 
• miraculous 
• mythical 
• psychic 
• superhuman 
• uncanny