preternatural

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin preternātūrālis/praeternātūrālis, from praeter nātūram, from praeter (beyond) + nātūra (nature); compare supernatural.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌpɹiː.təˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə)ɹ.əl/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌpɹi.tɚˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə)ɹ.əl/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adjective

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preternatural (comparative more preternatural, superlative most preternatural)

  1. Beyond or not conforming to what is natural or according to the regular course of things; strange.
    Synonyms: inexplicable, exceptional, extraordinary, abnormal, uncanny
    • 1815, William Shearman, New Medical and Physical Journal:
      I have employed cold air, and very often spongings with cold water, in order to moderate the preternatural heat of the skin, and to check the increased velocity of the circulation.
    • 1882, George Edward Ellis, The Red Man and the White Man in North America, page 152:
      Doubtless there has been some exaggeration in the picturesque and fanciful relations of the almost preternatural skill and cunning of the Indian []
    • 2014 January 4, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, “The other Charlotte Brontë girl [online version (3 January 2014): Why Villette is better than Jane Eyre: Everybody knows Jane Eyre, but Charlotte Brontë's greatest and most original novel was her last, Villette]”, in The Daily Telegraph[1], London, page R14:
      "Villette! Villette! wrote George Eliot. "It is a still more wonderful book than Jane Eyre. There is something almost preternatural in its power."
    • 2018, “Quintessential Deckerstar”, in Lucifer:
      D.B. Woodside as Amenadiel: "Something Charlotte said made me think. Maybe celestial beings and humans, Luci maybe they aren't that different."
      Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar: "What, are we talking in bed? 'Cause we know all know my skills are preternatural. But I suppose you on the other hand..."
  2. (dated) Having an existence outside of the natural world.
    Synonyms: paranormal, supernatural, unnatural
    • 1817, William Hazlitt, “Macbeth”, in Characters of Shakespeare's Plays:
      Macbeth is like a record of a preternatural and tragical event.
    • 1860, George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss, Book 1, Chapter 11:
      Not Leonore, in that preternatural midnight excursion with her phantom lover, was more terrified than poor Maggie in this entirely natural ride on a short-paced donkey, [...]
    • 1925, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Ring of Thoth:
      Vansittart Smith, fixing his eyes upon the fellow's skin, was conscious of a sudden impression that there was something inhuman and preternatural about its appearance.

Usage notes

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  • In modern secular use, refers to extraordinary but still natural phenomena, as in “preternatural talent”. In religious and occult usage, used similarly to supernatural, meaning “outside of nature”, but usually to a lower level than supernatural – it can be used synonymously (identical to supernatural), as a hyponym (a kind of supernatural), or a coordinate term (similar to supernatural, but a distinct category). For example, in Catholic theology, preternatural refers to properties of creatures like angels, while supernatural refers to properties of God alone.

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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Further reading

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin praeternaturālis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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preternatural m or f (masculine and feminine plural preternaturals)

  1. preternatural
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Further reading

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Portuguese

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Pronunciation

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  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /pɾe.teʁ.na.tuˈɾaw/ [pɾe.teɦ.na.tuˈɾaʊ̯]
    • (São Paulo) IPA(key): /pɾe.teɾ.na.tuˈɾaw/ [pɾe.teɾ.na.tuˈɾaʊ̯]
    • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /pɾe.teʁ.na.tuˈɾaw/ [pɾe.teʁ.na.tuˈɾaʊ̯]
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /pɾe.teɻ.na.tuˈɾaw/ [pɾe.teɻ.na.tuˈɾaʊ̯]
 
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /pɾɨ.tɨɾ.nɐ.tuˈɾal/ [pɾɨ.tɨɾ.nɐ.tuˈɾaɫ]
    • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /pɾɨ.tɨɾ.nɐ.tuˈɾa.li/

  • Hyphenation: pre‧ter‧na‧tu‧ral

Adjective

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preternatural m or f (plural preternaturais)

  1. preternatural

Spanish

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /pɾeteɾnatuˈɾal/ [pɾe.t̪eɾ.na.t̪uˈɾal]
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: pre‧ter‧na‧tu‧ral

Adjective

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preternatural m or f (masculine and feminine plural preternaturales)

  1. preternatural

Derived terms

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Further reading

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