Paranormal
/ˌpærəˈnɔːr.məl/noun
Relating to events or phenomena that seem to lie beyond normal scientific explanation.
Did you know?The word is a modern scientific-sounding label built from Greek roots, and it became a cultural gateway term for ghosts, psychic phenomena, and everything “beyond” the ordinary.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
para-
“beside, alongside, beyond, contrary to”
Latin
Latin
norma
“a carpenter’s square; a rule or standard”
19th Century
English
normal
“conforming to a standard or rule”
1920s
English
paranormal
“beyond normal; outside ordinary explanation”
Modern English
English
paranormal
“apparently outside the range of normal scientific understanding”