PsychologyAugust 27, 2026

supernormal

soo-per-NOR-mul

Definition

Exceeding or lying outside the range of normal experience or the known laws of nature; paranormal.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'super-' (above) and 'normalis' (according to a rule or norm), the term emerged in the early 20th century to describe phenomena that seem to exist beyond the standard laws of nature.

In the news

The article uses this term to describe the extraordinary, non-scientific abilities researchers suspected animals like Clever Hans might possess, such as telepathy or psychic calculation.

How a ‘psychic’ horse named Clever Hans changed the way we do science

Read the full article ↗

The Conversation

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