preternatural
preternatural
Definition
preter·natu·ral (prēt′ər nac̸h′ər əl)
adjective
- differing from or beyond what is normally found in or expected from nature; abnormal preternatural strength
- supernatural
Etymology: ML praeternaturalis
Related Forms:
- preternaturalism pre′ter·nat′u·ral·ism′ noun
- preternaturally pre′ter·nat′u·rally adverb
preternatural
Synonyms
preternatural
Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- being: Unless, as you say, he was a preternatural being.
- clarity: There were plenty of reef fish, but I saw little in the blue, despite the preternatural clarity of the water.
- ability: What preternatural ability lets us distinguish religious charlatans from genuine religious people who seek truth and meaning through religion.
- agency: All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.
- combustibility: It is the " preternatural combustibility, " not the supposed spontaneity, that is the odd feature.
- phenomenon: In 1870 Crookes began to study the preternatural phenomena associated with Spiritualism, conducting his experiments on strict scientific grounds.
Modifying Another Word
- almost: Chas started buying real estate in his early teens and seemed to have an almost preternatural understanding of international finance.
Browse dictionary entries near preternatural
- pretermitting
- pretermitted heir
- pretermitted
- pretermit
- pretermission
- preterm
- preterition
- preterite
- preterit
- preterhuman
- preternaturalism
- preternaturally
- pretest
- pretext
- pretexting
- pretor
- Pretoria
- pretorial
- pretorian
- pretrial
