preternatural

American  

[pree-ter-nach-er-uhl, -nach-ruhl, pre-] / ˌpri tərˈnætʃ ər əl, -ˈnætʃ rəl, ˌprɛ- /

adjective

1. out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal.

   preternatural powers.

   Synonyms:

   unnatural, extraordinary, unusual

   Antonyms:

   usual, ordinary

2. outside of nature; supernatural.

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preternatural British  

/ ˌpriːtəˈnætʃrəl /

adjective

1. beyond what is ordinarily found in nature; abnormal

2. another word for supernatural

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Related Words

See miraculous.

Other Word Forms

• preternaturalism noun
• preternaturality noun
• preternaturally adverb
• preternaturalness noun
• unpreternatural adjective

Etymology

Origin of preternatural

First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin praeternātūrālis, adjective based on Latin phrase praeter nātūram “beyond nature”; preter-, natural

Example Sentences

In addition to preternatural skill, you need icewater in your veins to do that.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jay, with his bouffant curly hair and preternatural ability to remember the smallest details, became a de facto musical matchmaker.

From Los Angeles Times

But Stoppard has left theatrical riches that will entice audiences for generations through their intellectual exuberance, preternatural eloquence and omnivorous delight.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, each Thanksgiving when my family convenes, I envy my college-age kids for their preternatural ability to sleep and sleep and sleep.

From The Wall Street Journal

She has a preternatural belief in her own instincts and a boundless curiosity that, taken together, help explain the extraordinarily rich life and oeuvre she’s constructed.

From Los Angeles Times