preternatural

adjective

ˌprē-tər-ˈna-chə-rəl How to pronounce preternatural (audio)
Definition of preternaturalnext
1
as in extraordinary
being out of the ordinary an editor with a preternatural sense of what will interest the book-buying public

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in supernatural
of, relating to, or being part of a reality beyond the observable physical universe an investigator of preternatural phenomena

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in superhuman
being so extraordinary or abnormal as to suggest powers which violate the laws of nature a preternatural ability to predict how the stock market will perform

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of preternatural And for a movie that’s essentially Mouse House agitprop, her preternatural talent and honesty shine through. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 Mullen’s preternatural understanding of young women who fall through society’s cracks and end up exploited by opportunistic men permeates both books. — Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, 8 Aug. 2026 Just as bright, witty, and debauched as their namesake, this unique protagonist is on a path of self-discovery, gaining insight into not just their gender identity, but also their preternatural attraction to transgression and risk. — Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026 Though his language is that of the every day his preternatural instinct for rhythm fills his lines with a bursting musicality. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for preternatural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preternatural
  1. extraordinary
  2. supernatural
  3. superhuman
  4. unusual
  5. paranormal
  6. uncanny
  7. exceptional
  8. transcendental
Adjective
  • View gallery - 4 images For all the extraordinary things that consumer 3D printers can produce, changing color has remained a surprisingly messy business.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Explore its waterfalls, glaciers and volcanic landscapes, and treat any aurora sightings as an extraordinary bonus.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of extraordinary
Adjective
  • Surprise, surprise, the crime had a supernatural basis—and is linked to a number of others, all brutally depicted in reels of film left in his attic.
    — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than relying on supernatural creatures or elaborate mythology, Fears to Fathom builds suspense around seemingly ordinary situations that take increasingly terrifying turns.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of supernatural
Adjective
  • In polyphonic music such as Bach, Van Bloss offers a superhuman degree of precision and individuality.
    — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The Dodgers entered the postseason with the best rotation of any team on paper, led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who proved to be practically superhuman in the World Series last year.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of superhuman
Adjective
  • Six months after Vincent’s suicide, Theo died from the ravages of syphilis, leaving Jo a young widow with a baby to support, not much money, and an unusual inheritance—Vincent’s paintings—more than 400 in total.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • While his neighbors weren’t alarmed enough by the unusual sight to call security, Abrams wasn’t as lucky during filming at Radford Studios in Studio City.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • There's immediate signs of paranormal capabilities that nobody, Carrie included, have a handle on.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This comes after Radial in March bought the New Dominion catalog, comprising more than 600 hours of content in the true crime, investigation and paranormal genres.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of paranormal
Adjective
  • Superposition is an uncanny aspect of quantum mechanics that allows particles to be in multiple states at once—such as literally here and there simultaneously.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Cops released surveillance photos of the shooter, whose getup bore an uncanny resemblance to the Marvel character Deadpool.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • When machines can instantly replicate the average, the only true moat is the exceptional.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Brewers have an exceptional amount of talent too, and Murphy's routine of pretending like his team is a bunch of humble farmers who were playing stickball out back a few days ago is absurd and offensive.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of exceptional
Adjective
  • Call it transcendental, the character’s deepening sense of luminosity, the way his empathy heightens as his consciousness expands.
    — David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Users seeking transcendental sources of insight do not know or care how the oracle came up with its responses.
    — Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of transcendental

Browse Nearby Words

pretermitting
preternatural
pretest
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Cite this Entry

“Preternatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preternatural. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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