paranormal

adjective

para·​nor·​mal ˌper-ə-ˈnȯr-məl How to pronounce paranormal (audio)
ˌpa-rə-;
ˈper-ə-ˌnȯr-,
ˈpa-rə-
: not scientifically explainable : supernatural
paranormal noun
paranormality noun
paranormally
ˌper-ə-ˈnȯr-mə-lē How to pronounce paranormal (audio)
ˌpa-rə-;
ˈper-ə-ˌnȯr-
ˈpa-rə-
adverb

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 This is not the strangest left turn a TV spinoff has taken, if only because Baywatch Nights — where David Hasselhoff’s lifeguard Mitch Buchanan moonlighted as a private detective, and in the second and final season began investigating paranormal mysteries — exists. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 Actual paranormal footage captured at the bridge is woven into the narrative. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024 Among followers of paranormal news, there’s even a name for such events: flaps. Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 18 Jan. 2024 It was filmed at Tenth Avenue Arts Center, a venue reputed to have paranormal events of its own. Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2023 The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now There are also tons of other shows that Night Country fans will love, from detective dramas to paranormal frights, shows set in the far north, and more. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024 Other genre clubs focus on four genre book clubs (contemporary, historical, paranormal, and romantas), with plans to launch a virtual book club soon. Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Yet there’s enough evidence — if such a thing is possible when dealing with the mystical — that a paranormal researcher wrote a nine-part series about the Luxor’s curse. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024 The new Ghostbusters movie opens Friday, pitting Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon against paranormal pests in New York City. Brett Weiss, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paranormal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paranormal was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near paranormal

Cite this Entry

“Paranormal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paranormal. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

paranormal

adjective
para·​nor·​mal ˌpar-ə-ˈnȯr-məl How to pronounce paranormal (audio)
: not understandable in terms of known scientific laws and phenomena
experiments in paranormal cognition of drawingsPsychological Abstracts
paranormally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on paranormal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!