supernatural
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; abnormal.
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of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.
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of a superlative degree; preternatural.
a missile of supernatural speed.
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of, relating to, or attributed to ghosts, goblins, or other unearthly beings; eerie; occult.
noun
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a being, place, object, occurrence, etc., considered as supernatural or of supernatural origin; that which is supernatural, or outside the natural order.
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behavior supposedly caused by the intervention of supernatural beings.
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direct influence or action of a deity on earthly affairs.
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the supernatural,
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supernatural beings, behavior, and occurrences collectively.
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supernatural forces and the supernatural plane of existence.
a deep fear of the supernatural.
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adjective
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of or relating to things that cannot be explained according to natural laws
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characteristic of or caused by or as if by a god; miraculous
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of, involving, or ascribed to occult beings
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exceeding the ordinary; abnormal
noun
Synonym Usage
See miraculous.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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semisupernaturalnessnoun
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supernaturalnessnoun
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unsupernaturalnessnoun
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antisupernaturaladjective
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semisupernaturaladjective
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unsupernaturaladjective
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semisupernaturallyadverb
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supernaturallyadverb
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unsupernaturallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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Friday the 13th
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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.
See Examples For:
Tan, who said she keeps an "open mind" about the supernatural, said it was not surprising when people seek spiritual explanations for something they cannot readily define.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
The prophecy also claims that the fated twins have the power to command daemons, supernatural beings with unearthly abilities.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
One of his main breakthrough roles was filmed in the UK in the early 1980s, when he appeared as Damien Thorn, son of the devil, in the supernatural horror Omen III: The Final Conflict.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The evocations of inherited sin, historical guilt and supernatural horror established a model for a haunted literary tradition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
I guess Mr. Ware knew what he was talking about—there really are supernatural beings in the world.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Daphne explained that supernaturals were unaffected, so is that a suggestion that there's something more to Andy than amusing buffoon?
From The Guardian ● Apr. 9, 2010
The beautiful, fatalistic immortals of Neil Gaiman’s 1990s series “The Sandman” are spiritual siblings of Rice’s supernaturals.
From Washington Post
Agent Magnus takes hold of my shoulder and gently turns me back around to face the lobby of supernaturals.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
“I wrapped myself in an illusion that can only be smelled instead of seen. You never know what supernaturals you’ll run into at the Bureau, so I make sure to always hide my magician’s scent.”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
I think about the supernaturals I saw on the ride here and how Mama couldn’t see any of them.
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.
