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
What marked them out as Olympians was their preternatural ability to find these pratfalls hilarious.
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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
As the trial approached, a preternatural calm seemed to descend on Bamber.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for preternatural 
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
As the trial approached, a preternatural calm seemed to descend on Bamber.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for preternatural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preternatural
Adjective
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Furthermore, the governor’s last extraordinary session was a transparent public-relations stunt.Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 15 Nov. 2024
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This extension was approved at an extraordinary general meeting held on July 18, 2024.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
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Dakota worked on the opposite side of the camera as an art production assistant on the 2009 supernatural thriller Lost Soul.Rachel Flynn, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
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Along with Ryder and Keaton, original star Catherine O’Hara also returns in the zany supernatural follow-up.Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The New York Jets are getting a superhuman effort out of starting right tackle Morgan Moses, who is playing through some painful injuries right now.Jesse Reed, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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After he’s bitten by a radioactive spider during a high school field trip, nerdy photographer Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) begins to exhibit superhuman abilities.Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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It's more accurately seen as a return to the township's Republican norm, after one unusual term with a Democrat in charge.Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
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The retirement of Chiarello made this race an unusual exercise for South Bay voters who got to choose between two candidates.Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
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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
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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
Adjective
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An avid artist from an early age, Burton’s uncanny style of drawing is inspired by these films — along with gothic novels, expressionist paintings, holiday rituals and even the illustrations of Dr Seuss.Tacita Quinn, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
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In Babygirl, his head looks like a lush, uncanny tennis ball: too short to be normal, too long to be a buzz — the clear ideal cut on a guy like him.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Its standout feature is its exceptional speed over USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connections, providing quick file transfers, especially for large media files.Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
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But this election is close, almost impossibly so, because of some of the ways (good and bad) in which the United States remains exceptional.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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
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Finding that new way of working between music and film, or of film interacting with music can, when it’s done really, really well, almost be transcendental.Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near preternatural
Cite this Entry
“Preternatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preternatural. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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