naturalism

[ nach-er-uh-liz-uhm, nach-ruh- ]

noun

1. Literature.
   1. a manner or technique of treating subject matter that presents, through volume of detail, a deterministic view of human life and actions.
   2. a deterministic theory of writing in which it is held that a writer should adopt an objective view toward the material written about, be free of preconceived ideas as to form and content, and represent with clinical accuracy and frankness the details of life. Compare realism ( def 4b ).
   3. a representation of natural appearances or natural patterns of speech, manner, etc., in a work of fiction.
   4. the depiction of the physical environment, especially landscape or the rural environment.
2. (in a work of art) treatment of forms, colors, space, etc., as they appear or might appear in nature. Compare idealism ( def 4 ), realism ( def 3a ).
3. action arising from or based on natural instincts and desires alone.
4. Philosophy.
   1. the view of the world that takes account only of natural elements and forces, excluding the supernatural or spiritual.
   2. the belief that all phenomena are covered by laws of science and that all teleological explanations are therefore without value.
5. Theology.
   1. the doctrine that all religious truth is derived from a study of natural processes and not from revelation.
   2. the doctrine that natural religion is sufficient for salvation.
6. adherence or attachment to what is natural.

naturalism

/ -tʃərə-; ˈnætʃrəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. 1. a movement, esp in art and literature, advocating detailed realistic and factual description, esp that in 19th-century France in the writings of Zola, Flaubert, etc
   2. the characteristics or effects of this movement
2. a school of painting or sculpture characterized by the faithful imitation of appearances for their own sake
3. the belief that all religious truth is based not on revelation but rather on the study of natural causes and processes
4. philosophy
   1. a scientific account of the world in terms of causes and natural forces that rejects all spiritual, supernatural, or teleological explanations
   2. the meta-ethical thesis that moral properties are reducible to natural ones, or that ethical judgments are derivable from nonethical ones Compare naturalistic fallacy descriptivism
5. action or thought caused by natural desires and instincts
6. devotion to that which is natural

naturalism

¹

1. In the visual arts, an attempt to depict the natural world as accurately and objectively as possible.

naturalism

²

1. A movement in literature and the arts, and an approach to philosophy . Literary and artistic naturalism aims at accuracy and objectivity and cultivates realistic and even sordid portrayals of people and their environment. Philosophical naturalism, which is often identified with materialism , holds that minds, spirits, and ideas are fundamentally material.

Other Words From

• anti·natu·ral·ism noun
• non·natu·ral·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of naturalism¹

First recorded in 1635–45; natural + -ism

Example Sentences

Liberated from cinematic naturalism, the characters’ intimate, impassioned exchanges achieve the heart-rending immediacy of live theater.

From Time

In the gardening world, designers turned to perennials and grasses in the 1980s, and this naturalism later evolved into a popular and sometimes simplistic insistence on native plant gardens.

From Washington Post

Something about that tension is thrilling, applying naturalism to a winemaking style that isn’t remotely natural at all, and the results can be gobsmackingly good.

From Eater

In the many portraits, Picasso oscillates between naturalism and abstraction in his portraits of Jacqueline.

From The Daily Beast

Naturalism tells us that mystics had temporal lobe epilepsy.

From The Daily Beast

The practice reached its peak in the Victorian Era, when naturalism became all the rage for museums and even household decoration.

From The Daily Beast

Could you tell us some books about naturalism that were particularly influential to you?

From The Daily Beast

This is action on a grand scale that, despite its grittiness and naturalism, boasts very high production values.

From The Daily Beast

The excess of sentimentalism had given rise to the other extreme of naturalism.

From Project Gutenberg

It is as if the workman had intended to leave us an image of the expiring naturalism of the Gothic school.

From Project Gutenberg

Representations of animal forms are sometimes very remarkable in phases of naturalism.

From Project Gutenberg

The all-sufficiency of all forms of Naturalism condemns itself through its failure to pass beyond itself.

From Project Gutenberg

All systems of Naturalism lack enough spiritual life within themselves to meet the deepest needs of the race.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• constancy
• faithfulness