paranormal
Americanadjective
adjective
noun
Other Word 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.
In her free time, Grohl is an avid lover of anything paranormal.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
There’s also a reporter named Clarence Thomas Jr., an ex-country music star with a White House job, and the titular pro wrestler, who might have paranormal powers.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
Is something paranormal afoot or is the rupture in Montessori’s mind?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
They swapped rooms but the stay was - sadly - uneventful in paranormal terms.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025
“It was a paranormal emergency; surely you, of all people, would understand,” he whispered, before she frantically shushed him.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
