preternaturally
Americanadverb
-
in a way or to a degree that is beyond the ordinary course of nature; exceptionally or abnormally.
Her voice, preternaturally deep, resonated off the walls like a terrible storm.
-
in a supernatural way or to a supernatural degree.
The demons in this movie are of course preternaturally strong.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preternaturally
Explanation
When something happens preternaturally, it's extremely unusual — you could even say it's strange and mysterious. If your dog is preternaturally smart, you may feel like she understands every word you say. This adverb is commonly used to describe things that happen in a bizarre or extraordinary way, particularly if they're hard to explain. A magician may cause your friend to appear to hover preternaturally above the ground, for example. Sometimes its use signals that you can't quite believe your eyes: "Those redwood trees were preternaturally enormous!" The Latin root is praeter naturam, "beyond nature."
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.
Across the board, the staff is genial and preternaturally accommodating.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
In addition to her naturalness on-camera, Feltner explained, Folan just happened to be preternaturally good at the technical aspects of shooting a 30-minute show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
But it is a shame that the promising Butters doesn’t get the same showcase of her own preternaturally mature talent, other than one scene where she yells and another one where she cries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2025
Such moments have allowed even one of the most preternaturally talented athletes of his generation to show a human side too.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2025
Everywhere the woods were still and preternaturally quiet.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
