paranormal

adjective

para·​nor·​mal ˌper-ə-ˈnȯr-məl 

ˌpa-rə-;

ˈper-ə-ˌnȯr-,

ˈpa-rə-

: not scientifically explainable : supernatural

paranormal noun

paranormality

ˌper-ə-ˌnȯr-ˈma-lə-tē 

ˌpa-rə-

noun

paranormally

ˌper-ə-ˈnȯr-mə-lē 

ˌpa-rə-;

ˈper-ə-ˌnȯr-

ˈpa-rə-

adverb

Synonyms

• metaphysical
• otherworldly
• preternatural
• supernatural
• transcendent
• transcendental
• unearthly

Examples of paranormal in a Sentence

there are rumors that the old deserted mansion is the site of paranormal activity

Recent Examples on the Web

My character has been buried alive, held hostage in a haunted silo, and trapped in a paranormal pocket universe where everyone was half bee, half human. —Remy Blumenfeld, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Nov. 2024

The property management also offers paranormal night tours for those more interested in the ghosts than the murders. —Julie Jordan, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024

In honor of Halloween—where even the slightest noise can send shivers down your spine—three paranormal pros are sharing their top supernatural solutions. —Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024

The humans caught in this ghostly loop cannot escape the past. Amy Greer and fellow paranormal researcher Michael Renegar spent years trying to track down the possible historical origins of Jamestown’s vanishing hitchhiker. —Elizabeth Friend, Longreads, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing paranormal

• the paranormal

Medical Definition

paranormal

adjective

para·​nor·​mal ˌpar-ə-ˈnȯr-məl 

: not understandable in terms of known scientific laws and phenomena

experiments in paranormal cognition of drawings

—Psychological Abstracts

paranormally

-ē 

adverb