What does supernaturalist mean?
A supernaturalist is someone who believes in supernatural beings, powers, or causes, or who interprets particular events as arising from forces beyond the natural world. The word can refer to an adherent of a religious or spiritual system, but it is also often used critically of someone who readily explains mysteries through ghosts, magic, psychic powers, or other extraordinary agencies. In historical writing, supernaturalists were associated with attempts to investigate phenomena that conventional science could not explain. The term therefore occupies an ambiguous position: it may faithfully describe a person's beliefs and practices, or it may imply that those beliefs are credulous. The related term supernaturalism describes the broader system of belief or practice, while supernaturalist always identifies a person. In contemporary usage, supernaturalist commonly carries more skepticism than terms such as mystic or occultist, particularly when it is used to describe claims that have not been independently verified.
nounA person who believes in or invokes supernatural powers, causes, or beings. The term may also denote someone who interprets events or phenomena as supernatural rather than natural.
- A person who believes in supernatural beings, powers, or causes.
- A person who interprets a phenomenon as supernatural or who practices a form of supernaturalism.
"The historian was dismissed as a supernaturalist because of the unusual evidence she was willing to consider."
"They warned that dismissing every unexplained account would turn the investigator into a confirmed supernaturalist."
"The painting was dismissed by critics as the work of a supernaturalist, although its unusual effects were later explained by ordinary materials."
The regular plural is used when referring to multiple people who hold supernaturalist beliefs or practices.
"The novel contrasts two supernaturalists, each attempting to explain the disappearance in a different way."
Calling someone a supernaturalist can sound like an accusation, but historically the word described a coherent worldview rather than a fringe belief.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does supernaturalist come from?
The word combines supernatural, from Latin super- meaning “beyond” and natura meaning “nature,” with the suffix -ist, meaning “one who follows or practices.” Its development parallels other English formations ending in -ist, such as naturalist and rationalist. The cognate preternatural also draws on Latin roots referring to what is beyond or outside the natural order, although it can describe extraordinary events rather than specifically their adherents.
Related word forms
How supernaturalist is actually used
The term is often used critically to suggest that a person attributes unusual events to paranormal causes without sufficient evidence. It should not be used as a synonym for being religious in general, since many religious traditions do not treat supernaturalist practices as central.
Easily confused with supernaturalist
Supernaturalist is a noun denoting a person or adherent, while supernatural is primarily an adjective describing things or events beyond ordinary natural laws.
An occultist is generally associated with esoteric knowledge or practices, whereas a supernaturalist more directly means someone who believes in or attributes events to supernatural causes.