supernaturalism

noun

su·​per·​nat·​u·​ral·​ism ˌsü-pər-ˈna-chə-rə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce supernaturalism (audio)
-ˈnach-rə-
1
: the quality or state of being supernatural
2
: belief in a supernatural power and order of existence
supernaturalist noun or adjective
supernaturalistic adjective

Examples of supernaturalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But a secular critique might say, well, good riddance to religion, to obscurantism, to supernaturalism. Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025 But consider for a moment the nature of those early modern supernaturalisms. James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024 Capturing that movement required a fusion of political didacticism, unabashed melodrama, stage supernaturalism and sitcom beats. New York Times, 30 Nov. 2021 Nowhere do the authors of the paper define just what supernaturalism is supposed to mean. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2010 Like Paine before him, Dr. Dawkins has done a great job of expunging the tenets of supernaturalism from his mind. Wired Letters Department, WIRED, 1 Dec. 2006

Word History

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of supernaturalism was in 1764

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Cite this Entry

“Supernaturalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernaturalism. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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