supernaturalism

American  

[soo-per-nach-er-uh-liz-uhm, -nach-ruh-liz-uhm] / ˌsu pərˈnætʃ ər əˌlɪz əm, -ˈnætʃ rəˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. supernatural character or agency.

2. belief in the doctrine of supernatural or divine agency as manifested in the world, in human events, religious revelation, etc.

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supernaturalism British  

/ -ˈnætʃərə-, ˌsuːpəˈnætʃrəlɪzəm /

noun

1. the quality or condition of being supernatural

2. a supernatural agency, the effects of which are felt to be apparent in this world

3. belief in supernatural forces or agencies as producing effects in this world

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Other Word Forms

• antisupernaturalism noun
• antisupernaturalist noun
• antisupernaturalistic adjective
• supernaturalist noun
• supernaturalistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of supernaturalism

First recorded in 1790–1800; supernatural + -ism

Example Sentences

Myanmar's culture is profoundly influenced by Buddhism-inflected supernaturalism.

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

This doesn’t mean that consciousness has anything to do with supernaturalism; it simply means that some questions are not well-posed for our current scientific framework.

From Scientific American • Mar. 4, 2018

In outlining Japanese supernaturalism, Morton naturally refers to Lafcadio Hearn’s “In Ghostly Japan” and “Kwaidan,” mentioning the eerie and beautiful movie made of the latter.

From Washington Post • Dec. 16, 2015

The supernaturalism is, as it were, a red herring, and a chance for Mr. del Toro to indulge in some creepy effects and easy shocks.

From New York Times • Oct. 15, 2015

In 1886 some of its professors published Progressive Orthodoxy, a book which made a great stir by its liberal tone, its opposition to supernaturalism and its evident trend toward the methods of German “higher criticism.”

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 1 "Calhoun" to "Camoens" by Various