supernatural

The word “supernatural” means beyond what can be explained by the laws of nature, often attributed to spirits, gods, or magic. In plain terms, outside the ordinary laws of nature — ghosts, magic, and unexplained phenomena.

“Supernatural” is pronounced soo-puh-NA-chuh-ruhl (/ˌsu.pəɹˈnæ.tʃə.ɹəl/ in IPA).

Here is “supernatural” used in a sentence: “The villagers claimed the strange lights were supernatural.”

Depending on how it is used, “supernatural” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “supernatural” comes from Medieval Latin. From Middle French supernaturel, from Medieval Latin supernaturalis, from super- ("above") + natura ("nature").

“Supernatural” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Supernatural” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: beyond what can be explained by the laws of nature, often attributed to spirits, gods, or magic.

'Supernatural' is the broader term, covering anything beyond the laws of nature, including gods, spirits, and magic. 'Paranormal' is usually narrower, referring to unexplained phenomena treated as if they might be real, such as ghosts, telepathy, or hauntings.

'Supernatural' means beyond or above the natural world, often linked to spirits or magic. 'Unnatural' means contrary to what is normal or expected in nature, and can simply describe something artificial, abnormal, or strange without any spiritual meaning.

'Supernatural' points to forces outside nature altogether, such as the divine or the magical. 'Preternatural' describes something that seems beyond normal but not necessarily otherworldly, as in 'preternatural calm,' meaning unusually or extraordinarily calm.

'Supernatural' frequently pairs with words like 'powers,' 'being,' 'force,' 'creature,' and 'event.' In each case it marks the thing as belonging to a realm beyond ordinary natural explanation.