supernatural

comparative more supernatural · superlative most supernatural

1. Above nature; beyond or added to nature, often so considered because it is given by a deity or some force beyond that with which humans are born.

   Near-synonym: paranatural

   4 more examples

   In Roman Catholic theology, sanctifying grace is considered to be a supernatural addition to human nature.

   Stephen King's first novel is about a girl named Carrie dealing with supernatural powers.

   We know from their literature that to our Saxon ancestors waste places of moor and forest and marshes were the resort of a host of supernatural creatures at enmity with mankind.

   1922, Eleanour Sinclair Rohde, The Old English Herbals, London: Longmans, Green and Co., page 14

   As with the Delphic oracle of ancient Greece, physical impairment seemed compensated by almost supernatural gifts, which allowed his mind to roam the universe freely, upon occasion enigmatically revealing some of its secrets hidden from ordinary mortal view.

   2018 March 14, Roger Penrose, “'Mind over matter': Stephen Hawking – obituary by Roger Penrose”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 20 Mar 2025

   Synonyms: supranatural · Antonyms: ordinary, normal, typical

2. Not of the usual; not natural; altered by forces that are not understood fully, if at all.

   Near-synonym: paranatural

   2 more examples

   The house is haunted by supernatural forces.

   Many humans believe in the existence of supernatural forces; some do not.

   Synonyms: supranatural · Antonyms: ordinary, normal, typical

plural supernaturals

1. countableA supernatural being
2. uncountableSupernatural beings and events collectively (when used with definite article: "the supernatural")

   Dr Johnson defended Shakespeare's use of the supernatural from the charge of implausibility on the grounds that, "The reality of witchcraft … has in all ages and countries been credited by the common people, and in most by the learned."

   2012, Blake Morrison, The Guardian