preternatural
Americanadjective
-
out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal.
preternatural powers.
- Synonyms:
- unnatural, extraordinary, unusual
-
outside of nature; supernatural.
adjective
-
beyond what is ordinarily found in nature; abnormal
-
another word for supernatural
Synonym Usage
See miraculous.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of preternatural
First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin praeternātūrālis, adjective based on Latin phrase praeter nātūram “beyond nature”; see preter-, natural
Explanation
Preternatural describes something that seems oddly abnormal and out of sync with everything else. If you hear a preternatural dog's barking, maybe it sounds like a police siren instead of a howl. Note that preternatural contains the word natural. Preter comes from the Latin word praeter which means "beyond"; so something preternatural is beyond nature. It is less commonly used than unnatural or supernatural but means the same thing. If you lift a truck off the ground and hold it above your head, people will marvel at you and say you have preternatural strength.
Vocabulary lists containing preternatural
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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.
Streep might have the preternatural prowess of a woman born to embody characters and perform them before a camera.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
That preternatural calm appears to have a biological basis.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026
In addition to preternatural skill, you need icewater in your veins to do that.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025
Even with preternatural patience, most of the time, you should expect no progress.
From Slate • Dec. 5, 2025
All at once we heard the crow of a cock coming up with preternatural shrillness through the clear morning air; Count Dracula, jumping to his feet, said:—
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
