adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/ˌpɹiː.təˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə)ɹ.əl/
General-American:/ˌpɹi.tɚˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə)ɹ.əl/
General-American:/ˌprɛdərˈnætʃ(ə)rəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Beyond or not conforming to what is natural or according to the regular course of things; strange.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Beyond his preternatural affability there is some acid and some steel
his uncanny sense of direction
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: uncanny
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From preter- + natural, after Latin prēternātūrālis/praeternātūrālis, from praeter nātūram, from praeter (“beyond”) + nātūra (“nature”); compare supernatural.
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
свръхестествен
(svrǎhestestven)
— existing outside of the natural world
Catalan:
preternatural
— existing outside of the natural world
Dutch:
buitennatuurlijk
— existing outside of the natural world
Dutch:
bovennatuurlijk
— existing outside of the natural world
Estonian:
üleloomulik
— existing outside of the natural world
French:
surnaturel
— existing outside of the natural world
Italian:
surreale
— existing outside of the natural world
Italian:
innaturale
— existing outside of the natural world
Italian:
paranormale
— existing outside of the natural world
Italian:
anormale
— existing outside of the natural world
Portuguese:
preternatural
— existing outside of the natural world
Spanish:
preternatural
— existing outside of the natural world
Swedish:
onaturlig
— existing outside of the natural world
Swedish:
övernaturlig
— existing outside of the natural world
Dutch:
uitzonderlijk
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
Dutch:
buitennatuurlijk
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
Dutch:
bovennatuurlijk
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
Esperanto:
preternatura
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
Estonian:
ebaloomulik
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
French:
extraordinaire
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
German:
außernatürlich
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
Russian:
сверхъесте́ственный
(sverxʺjestéstvennyj)
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
Turkish:
fevkalade
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
Turkish:
olağanüstü
— beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things
