supernatural
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; abnormal.
-
of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.
-
of a superlative degree; preternatural.
a missile of supernatural speed.
-
of, relating to, or attributed to ghosts, goblins, or other unearthly beings; eerie; occult.
noun
-
a being, place, object, occurrence, etc., considered as supernatural or of supernatural origin; that which is supernatural, or outside the natural order.
-
behavior supposedly caused by the intervention of supernatural beings.
-
direct influence or action of a deity on earthly affairs.
-
the supernatural,
-
supernatural beings, behavior, and occurrences collectively.
-
supernatural forces and the supernatural plane of existence.
a deep fear of the supernatural.
-
adjective
-
of or relating to things that cannot be explained according to natural laws
-
characteristic of or caused by or as if by a god; miraculous
-
of, involving, or ascribed to occult beings
-
exceeding the ordinary; abnormal
noun
Related Words
See miraculous.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of supernatural
From the Medieval Latin word supernātūrālis, dating back to 1520–30. See super-, natural
Explanation
If you enjoy a good story about vampires, witches, werewolves, or ghosts, you like reading about the supernatural — forces, beings, and events that are beyond what can be explained by nature. Supernatural comes from the Latin word supernaturalis, meaning beyond nature. The adjective form of supernatural describes anything that pertains to or is caused by something that can't be explained by the laws of nature. It's interesting to ask your friends what kind of supernatural power they would choose to have. Most will probably wish for the ability to fly, though some will pick the supernatural power of being invisible.
Vocabulary lists containing supernatural
The Grim Reader: Wicked Words of Grave Importance for Halloween
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Friday the 13th
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Fittingly, Rhys is currently portraying the mayor of a small island town where spooky, supernatural things keep happening on Apple TV’s comedy-horror series “Widow’s Bay.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
Interest in UFOs has been renewed in recent years as the US government investigated numerous reports of seemingly supernatural aircraft, amid worries that adversaries could be testing highly advanced technologies.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
If you were told the building was haunted, you might attribute that agitation to something supernatural.
From Science Daily • May 3, 2026
Something preciously human survives the supernatural barrage, and it’s this tender quality that rescues “The Lost Boys” from the jaws of vampire musical defeat.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
“The entire research team had to be flown to the nearest supernatural health center.”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
