supernatural

play

adjective su·per·nat·u·ral \ˌsü-pər-ˈna-chə-rəl, -ˈnach-rəl\

Definition of supernatural

1 : of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe; especially : of or relating to God or a god, demigod, spirit, or devil
2a : departing from what is usual or normal especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of natureb : attributed to an invisible agent (such as a ghost or spirit)

supernatural

noun

supernaturally

play \-ˈna-chər-ə-lē, -ˈnach-rə-, -ˈna-chər-lē\ adverb

supernaturalness

noun

See supernatural defined for English-language learners

See supernatural defined for kids

Examples of supernatural in a Sentence

believes in ghosts, guardian angels, and other supernatural beings
he seems to read books with supernatural speed

Recent Examples of supernatural from the Web

Rosemary's Baby (July 1) Mia Farrow is an expectant mother who finds that her baby is of special interest to the various people living in her New York City apartment building in Roman Polanski's 1968 supernatural thriller.

— nick schager, Esquire, "Here Are the Must-Stream Movies of July 2017," 30 June 2017
The Void (July 6) Taking inspiration from various '80s B-movies, Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie's horror film depicts the supernatural ordeal suffered by a group of people who wind up trapped in a hospital by hooded cult members.

— nick schager, Esquire, "Here Are the Must-Stream Movies of July 2017," 30 June 2017
Though the direwolves have been somewhat sidelined or killed off prematurely in the HBO adaptation, their supernatural link with the Stark kids is massively important in the novels.

— joanna robinson, VanityFair.com, "New Game of Thrones Season 7 Report Seems to Confirm Two Massive Bombshells," 29 June 2017
So we're left with the arresting question of whether Macbeth is the plaything of malevolent supernatural forces, or if his own inability to reflect until too late upon the moral dimensions of his bloody deeds drives the action.

— kerry reid, chicagotribune.com, "First Folio delivers a 'Macbeth' to the fates and the night sky," 26 June 2017
When Michael, the youngest child, said science couldn’t explain everything, his dad said that was no reason to embrace the supernatural.

— dan horn, Cincinnati.com, "Abused by a priest, now a champion of the church," 24 June 2017
The Intriguing Chills of The Mist—Sophie Gilbert watches Spike’s new supernatural drama.

— the editors, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic's Week in Culture," 23 June 2017
If Ariel represents supernatural forces that dwell up above, Caliban is a cave-dwelling brute who is part human and part whatever.

— mike giuliano, Howard County Times, "'The Tempest' is outdoors but hopefully not overhead," 23 June 2017
And the Lakota tribe believed the wintke people among them had supernatural powers like India’s hijras.

— lucy diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Gender Variance Around the World Over Time," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'supernatural.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.