preternatural

[pree-ter-nach-er-uhl, -nach-ruhl, pre-]

adjective

1. out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal.

   preternatural powers.

   Synonyms: unnatural, extraordinary, unusual
   Antonyms: usual, ordinary

2. outside of nature; supernatural.

preternatural

/ ˌpriːtəˈnætʃrəl /

adjective

1. beyond what is ordinarily found in nature; abnormal

2. another word for supernatural

Other Word Forms

• preternaturalism noun
• preternaturality noun
• preternaturalness noun
• preternaturally adverb
• unpreternatural adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of preternatural¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin praeternātūrālis, adjective based on Latin phrase praeter nātūram “beyond nature”; preter-, natural

Word History and Origins

Origin of preternatural¹

C16: from Medieval Latin praeternātūrālis, from Latin praeter natūram beyond the scope of nature

Synonym Study

See miraculous.

Example Sentences

Altogether, he’s shedding his reputation as a bust and putting his preternatural talent on full display.

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He is a preternatural talent who continues to redefine his sport.

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She has a preternatural ability to find resonance in whatever catches her eye, no matter how mundane it might seem, so it’s hard to imagine her running out of material.

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Marketers caught one lucky break with Gen Z: Its members show preternatural willingness to share feedback with companies.

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Like “Happy Gilmore,” the sequel finds Happy down on his luck, in desperate need of cash and turning to his preternatural ability as a golfer to remedy his problems.

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