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

This isn't a supernatural being that craves blood; energy-vampires refer to friends who seem to zap your energy when you spend time with them.

From BBC

The supernatural body horror film, written and directed by Australian Michael Shanks, follows a couple who move to the countryside and find themselves encountering a mysterious force that impacts their bodies, lives and relationship.

From BBC

"The question is not whether the accused are wizards or actually possess supernatural powers. It is whether they represented themselves as such, and the evidence clearly shows they did," Magistrate Mayambu said.

From BBC

The 2016 “Ghostbusters” reboot brings this same energy into the supernatural realm, with four women combating ghosts through the sciences and their combined savvy in matters of the paranormal.

From Salon

The Crunchyroll series “Solo Leveling,” adapted from a South Korean web novel, examines economic inequality through the lens of characters who develop supernatural powers to fight monsters.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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