supernormal

adjective

su·​per·​nor·​mal ˌsü-pər-ˈnȯr-məl How to pronounce supernormal (audio)
1
: exceeding the normal or average
2
: being beyond normal human powers : paranormal
supernormality noun
supernormally adverb

Examples of supernormal in a Sentence

the little boy pretended to be a comic book hero with supernormal powers
Recent Examples on the Web As one example, many animals have been observed to be susceptible to supernormal stimuli. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2018 Workers at a handful of firms, including Amazon and Walmart, have made superhuman efforts to fulfil online orders, and their investors have made supernormal profits as Wall Street has bid up their shares on euphoria that Western retailing is at the cutting edge. The Economist, 30 Dec. 2020 Adversarial examples can be seen as a form of supernormal stimuli for neural networks. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2018 The vision that’s ascribed to him is instead the microscopic view—a dissector’s terrifying, supernormal closeness to the facts. Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 11 June 2021 The Tax Policy Center assumes that 60% of corporate income taxes fall on what are called supernormal returns, which are the extra profits some companies can earn because of strategic advantages such as monopolistic power. Richard Rubin, WSJ, 8 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'supernormal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of supernormal was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near supernormal

Cite this Entry

“Supernormal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supernormal. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

supernormal

adjective
su·​per·​nor·​mal ˌsü-pər-ˈnȯr-məl How to pronounce supernormal (audio)
1
: exceeding the normal or average
2
: being beyond normal human powers : paranormal
supernormality noun
plural supernormalities
supernormally adverb
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