1
as in extraordinary
being out of the ordinary
an editor with a preternatural sense of what will interest the book-buying public
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2
as in supernatural
of, relating to, or being part of a reality beyond the observable physical universe
an investigator of preternatural phenomena
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3
as in superhuman
being so extraordinary or abnormal as to suggest powers which violate the laws of nature
a preternatural ability to predict how the stock market will perform
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of preternatural
Stroud sees the field and throws receivers open with a preternatural anticipation.
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Michael Shapiro, Chron, 18 Sep. 2024
What marked them out as Olympians was their preternatural ability to find these pratfalls hilarious.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
Bernanke’s preternatural calm may have helped overcome the opposition of some Fed board members and congressional overseers to significant quantitative easing.
—Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2015
There was a moment when Duplantis’s right arm was on the wrong side of the bar while the rest of him was over, and some preternatural sense—the lightest part of him—told him to move it.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preternatural 
Michael Shapiro, Chron, 18 Sep. 2024
What marked them out as Olympians was their preternatural ability to find these pratfalls hilarious.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
Bernanke’s preternatural calm may have helped overcome the opposition of some Fed board members and congressional overseers to significant quantitative easing.
—Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2015
There was a moment when Duplantis’s right arm was on the wrong side of the bar while the rest of him was over, and some preternatural sense—the lightest part of him—told him to move it.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preternatural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preternatural
Adjective
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When structures are aligned to support deep reflection, risk-taking, and diversity, thought leadership efforts can achieve extraordinary impact.Rhea Wessel, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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From a temple in Datong, China, that appears to defy gravity to a hand-hewn stone church in Ethiopia, AD has scoured the globe for the 24 most inspiring, extraordinary houses of worship built into the natural world.Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024
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Making a film that’s exciting, that’s scary in moments and deals with supernatural — there’s a ghost haunting these ideas.Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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Happy whales strapped with barrels of coins, supernatural serpentine disco queens.Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The symptoms associated with people high on those synthetic drugs are nearly identical to symptoms of people said to be experiencing excited delirium — violence and aggression, paranoia, psychosis, superhuman strength, hyperthermia and even death.Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
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More recent iterations have given him power replication, voice mimicry, size alteration, density control, and superhuman strength.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
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While most incidents have come in New Jersey, other states, including Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, have also reported unusual drone activity to law enforcement.Maya Homan, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
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But when physicians look at a pool of unusual test results, the chaotic sequencing pattern could flag whether something more serious may be going on and the mother could benefit from additional testing, Bianchi said.Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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As the two compete to disprove the existence of the other’s passion, they get caught up in an encounter of both the spiritual and paranormal, imbuing both teenagers with powers beyond belief.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
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In 1976, another paranormal hobbyist published a book, The Great Lakes Triangle, and claimed there were planes and vessels that disappeared in a mysterious triangle within the Great Lakes.Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Both years, Durbin showed an uncanny ability to steal bases.Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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Wilson said Isaacman has an uncanny ability to get in the weeds despite being the CEO of a company that now has more than 3,000 employees.MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Also, share your vision with your team so your customer experiences exceptional service — not just from a few, but from all.Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2024
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When Pertinax abandoned a career as a teacher and joined the army, frontier wars had hollowed out the ranks, allowing his exceptional talent to catch his superiors’ attention.Jeffrey E. Schulman / Made by History, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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Then, filled with admiration for this person who has turned a simple space into a something transcendental, the patron hires Tóth to oversee construction on a community center in the modest burg of Doylestown, Pennsylvania.David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2024
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While few of us will be able to experience the transcendental taste of the Hibiki 40-year-old, one universal aspect of it is the artistry of the presentation.Mark Littler, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near preternatural
Cite this Entry
“Preternatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preternatural. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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