supernatural

[ soo-per-nach-er-uhl, -nach-ruhl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; abnormal.
2. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.
3. of a superlative degree; preternatural:

   a missile of supernatural speed.

4. of, relating to, or attributed to ghosts, goblins, or other unearthly beings; eerie; occult.

noun

1. a being, place, object, occurrence, etc., considered as supernatural or of supernatural origin; that which is supernatural, or outside the natural order.
2. behavior supposedly caused by the intervention of supernatural beings.
3. direct influence or action of a deity on earthly affairs.
4. the supernatural,
   1. supernatural beings, behavior, and occurrences collectively.
   2. supernatural forces and the supernatural plane of existence:

      a deep fear of the supernatural.

supernatural

/ -ˈnætʃərəl; ˌsuːpəˈnætʃrəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to things that cannot be explained according to natural laws
2. characteristic of or caused by or as if by a god; miraculous
3. of, involving, or ascribed to occult beings
4. exceeding the ordinary; abnormal

noun

1. the supernatural
   supernatural forces, occurrences, and beings collectively or their realm

Derived Forms

• ˌsuperˈnaturally, adverb
• ˌsuperˈnaturalness, noun

Other Words From

• super·natu·ral·ly adverb
• super·natu·ral·ness noun
• anti·super·natur·al adjective noun
• semi·super·natu·ral adjective
• semi·super·natu·ral·ly adverb
• semi·super·natu·ral·ness noun
• unsu·per·natu·ral adjective
• unsu·per·natu·ral·ly adverb
• unsu·per·natu·ral·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of supernatural¹

From the Medieval Latin word supernātūrālis, dating back to 1520–30. See super-, natural

Synonym Study

See miraculous.

Example Sentences

In the deserted town, Preciado confronts his father’s past through a nonlinear series of supernatural encounters.

From Los Angeles Times

Desplat’s score complements several monologues, punctuates scene transitions and montages, and raises the heat on the supernatural finale.

From Los Angeles Times

With slick pop songs like Super Shy, OMG and Supernatural, NewJeans were the eighth biggest-selling act in the world last year, and were nominated for best group at this year's MTV Awards.

From BBC

Such supernatural activity is accompanied by extreme close-ups of an eye, occasioning thoughts of Sauron, and sometimes an unintelligible voice that occasions thoughts of the Beastie Boys’ ”Intergalactic.”

From Los Angeles Times

Drawn by the promise of jump scares and Hugh Grant in maniacal-villain mode, set in what appeared from the trailers to be a supernatural trap of a house, I sought big-screen escape from the crowing/hand-wringing news cycle.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• celestial
• fairy
• ghostly
• heavenly
• metaphysical
• miraculous
• mythical
• psychic
• superhuman
• uncanny