preternatural
Americanadjective
-
out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal.
preternatural powers.
- Synonyms:
- unnatural, extraordinary, unusual
-
outside of nature; supernatural.
adjective
-
beyond what is ordinarily found in nature; abnormal
-
another word for supernatural
Synonym Usage
See miraculous.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preternatural
First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin praeternātūrālis, adjective based on Latin phrase praeter nātūram “beyond nature”; see preter-, natural
Explanation
Preternatural describes something that seems oddly abnormal and out of sync with everything else. If you hear a preternatural dog's barking, maybe it sounds like a police siren instead of a howl. Note that preternatural contains the word natural. Preter comes from the Latin word praeter which means "beyond"; so something preternatural is beyond nature. It is less commonly used than unnatural or supernatural but means the same thing. If you lift a truck off the ground and hold it above your head, people will marvel at you and say you have preternatural strength.
Vocabulary lists containing preternatural
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This Week in Words: September 10 - 16, 2017
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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.
Streep might have the preternatural prowess of a woman born to embody characters and perform them before a camera.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
Buffett has lavished praise on the executive for his preternatural ability to craft offbeat policies, including insuring Chicago’s tallest building against terrorist attacks and Pepsi against having to award a $1 billion raffle prize.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Even with preternatural patience, most of the time, you should expect no progress.
From Slate • Dec. 5, 2025
Jay, with his bouffant curly hair and preternatural ability to remember the smallest details, became a de facto musical matchmaker.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025
There was a preternatural hush all around the room.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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.
