Supernatural

How to spell supernatural

12 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce supernatural

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does supernatural mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to forces or events that cannot be explained by the laws of nature, especially ghosts, spirits, or magic.
2. nounPhenomena or beings regarded as existing beyond the natural world, treated as a category.

Supernatural in a sentence

• adjective

  The old hotel had a reputation for supernatural activity in its upper rooms.

• noun

  His novels explore the supernatural without ever fully explaining the haunting.

• adjective

  She dismissed the strange noises rather than blaming them on supernatural causes.

• noun

  As a scientist she had no patience for talk of the supernatural.

Where does supernatural come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word is built from the Latin elements super, meaning 'above' or 'beyond', and natura, meaning 'nature' or 'the natural order of things'. The combined form supernaturalis arose in Medieval Latin, where theologians used it to describe whatever lay beyond the ordinary workings of the physical world, especially divine or miraculous matters. English took it up in the late Middle Ages, around the 1400s, with that same sense of phenomena exceeding the laws of nature. The root natura also gives us 'nature', 'natural' and 'native', all of which trace back to nasci, meaning 'to be born'. Remembering that 'natural' sits whole and unchanged inside the word, with the prefix 'super-' simply bolted on the front, is the surest way to keep the spelling straight.

How the word is built

• super- (above, beyond)
• natur (nature, from Latin natura)
• -al (adjective suffix)