supernatural

Etymology

From Middle English supernatural, supernaturel, from Middle French supernaturel, from Latin supernātūrālis, from super (“above”) + nātūra (“nature; that which we are born with”), from nātus (“born”), perfect passive participle of nāscī (“to be born”) + adjective suffix -ālis.

adj

1. Above nature; beyond or added to nature, often so considered because it is given by a deity or some force beyond that which humans are born with.
   In Roman Catholic theology, sanctifying grace is considered to be a supernatural addition to human nature.
   Stephen King's first novel is about a girl named Carrie dealing with supernatural powers.
   March 14, 2018, Roger Penrose writing in The Guardian, 'Mind over matter': Stephen Hawking – obituary As with the Delphic oracle of ancient Greece, physical impairment seemed compensated by almost supernatural gifts, which allowed his mind to roam the universe freely, upon occasion enigmatically revealing some of its secrets hidden from ordinary mortal view.
2. Not of the usual; not natural; altered by forces that are not understood fully if at all.
   The house is haunted by supernatural forces.

noun

1. (countable) A supernatural being
2. (uncountable) Supernatural beings and events collectively (when used with definite article: "the supernatural")
   Dr Johnson defended Shakespeare's use of the supernatural from the charge of implausibility on the grounds that, "The reality of witchcraft … has in all ages and countries been credited by the common people, and in most by the learned." 2012, Blake Morrison, The Guardian