View synonyms for natural

natural

[ nach-er-uhl, nach-ruhl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

existing in or formed by nature ( artificial ):
The river was spanned by a natural rock bridge.
based on the state or behavior of things in nature; constituted by nature:
Growth is a natural process.
of or relating to nature or the universe:
The natural beauty of this forest is remarkable.
of, relating to, or occupied with the study of natural science:
The discovery of the laws of motion occurred through conducting natural experiments.
(of land) in a state of nature; uncultivated.
(of plants) growing spontaneously, without being planted or tended by humans.
having undergone little or no processing and containing no chemical additives: Compare organic ( def 11 ).
The restaurant is famous for serving only natural food made with only natural ingredients.
relating to hair, especially Black hair, that has not been straightened, permed, or otherwise altered in texture.
of, relating to, or proper to the nature or essential constitution:
Her natural athletic ability had brought her a wonderful basketball career.
having the specified character by nature; natural-born:
You can tell from his fun, interesting classes that he's a natural teacher.
proper to the circumstances of the case:
The loss of his social circle was a natural result of his greed.
free from affectation or constraint:
The celebrity had a charming and natural manner.
Synonyms: unmannered, genuine, unaffected, spontaneous
arising easily or spontaneously:
The mayor is known for his natural courtesy to strangers.
conforming with the nature or character of things:
That sentence may be grammatical, but it is not natural English.
in accordance with or conforming to the ordinary course of things:
It was natural that he should hit back after being punched.
(of a death) happening in the ordinary or usual course of things, without the intervention of accident, violence, etc.
based upon the innate moral feeling of humankind:
natural justice.
having or showing feelings, such as affection, gratitude, or kindness, considered part of basic human nature.
true to or closely imitating nature:
It's a very natural portrait of her.
not tinted or colored; undyed.
not treated, tanned, refined, etc.; in its original or raw state:
natural wood;
natural cowhide.
being or having a pale tannish or grayish-yellow color, as many woods and untreated animal skins.
related by blood rather than by adoption.
born of parents who are not married to each other; illegitimate:
a natural son.
having a real or physical existence, as opposed to one that is spiritual, intellectual, fictitious, etc.
(of theology) based on what is learned from nature rather than on revelation.
unenlightened or unregenerate:
the natural man.
Music.
1. neither sharp nor flat.
2. changed in pitch by the sign ♮.
(of a horn or trumpet) having neither side holes nor valves.
Cards.
1. being a card other than a wild card or joker.
2. (of a set or sequence of cards) containing no wild cards.
Informal, nat. (in role-playing games) designating a specified roll of the dice or die that can be taken at face value, not modified by any rule that adds to or subtracts from its value:
The monster I was attacking rolled a natural 20, landing a critical hit that took out most of my health.

noun

any person or thing that is or is likely or certain to be very suitable to and successful in an endeavor without much training or difficulty:
You're a natural at this—you picked it up so fast!
Music.
1. a white key on a piano, organ, or the like.
2. the sign ♮, placed before a note, canceling the effect of a previous sharp or flat.
3. a note affected by a ♮, or a tone thus represented.
a natural substance or a product made with such a substance:
This boot conditioner is an ointment containing mink oil and other naturals.
Cards. blackjack ( def 1c ).
Older Use. Afro ( def 1 ).
(in craps) a winning combination of seven or eleven made on the first cast.
Archaic. a person with an intellectual disability.

natural

/ -tʃərəl; ˈnætʃrəl /

adjective

of, existing in, or produced by nature
natural cliffs
natural science
in accordance with human nature
it is only natural to want to be liked
as is normal or to be expected; ordinary or logical
the natural course of events
not acquired; innate
a natural gift for sport
being so through innate qualities
a natural leader
not supernatural or strange
natural phenomena
not constrained or affected; genuine or spontaneous
not artificially dyed or coloured
a natural blonde
following or resembling nature or life; lifelike
she looked more natural without her make-up
not affected by man or civilization; uncultivated; wild
in the natural state this animal is not ferocious
being or made from organic material; not synthetic
a natural fibre like cotton
illegitimate; born out of wedlock
not adopted but rather related by blood
her natural parents
music
1. not sharp or flat
2. postpositive denoting a note that is neither sharp nor flat
  B natural
3. (of a key or scale) containing no sharps or flats Compare flat 1 sharp
music of or relating to a trumpet, horn, etc, without valves or keys, on which only notes of the harmonic series of the keynote can be obtained
determined by inborn conviction
natural rights
natural justice
cards
1. (of a card) not a joker or wild card
2. (of a canasta or sequence) containing no wild cards
3. (of a bid in bridge) describing genuine values; not conventional
based on the principles and findings of human reason and what is to be learned of God from nature rather than on revelation
natural religion

noun

informal.
a person or thing regarded as certain to qualify for success, selection, etc
the horse was a natural for first place
music
1. Also called (US)cancel an accidental cancelling a previous sharp or flat Usual symbol
2. a note affected by this accidental Compare flat 1 sharp
pontoon the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his or her first two cards
obsolete.
an imbecile; idiot

Discover More

Derived Forms

ˈnaturalness, noun

Discover More

Other Words From

nat·u·ral·ly adverb
nat·u·ral·ness noun
an·ti·nat·u·ral adjective
an·ti·nat·u·ral·ness noun
hy·per·nat·u·ral adjective
hy·per·nat·u·ral·ness noun
non·nat·u·ral adjective
non·nat·u·ral·ness noun
pre·nat·u·ral adjective
qua·si-nat·u·ral adjective
sub·nat·u·ral adjective
sub·nat·u·ral·ness noun
trans·nat·ur·al adjective

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of natural¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin nātūrālis; equivalent to nature + -al ¹; replacing Middle English naturel, from Middle French, from Latin, as above

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

see under big as life .

Discover More

Example Sentences

Researchers were able to uncover traces of natural selection -- signs of genetic adaptation to environmental pressures -- that are undetectable in the DNA of modern Europeans.

From Science Daily

In 2022, Duke researchers, backed by the National Institutes of Health, began investigating whether stimulating the vagus nerve could affect SUMOylation and set off a natural anti-inflammatory response that calms immune responses and reduces inflammation.

From Science Daily

He had deep knowledge of natural processes such as sedimentation.

From Science Daily

The sushi chain also claimed that the movement seen in Lee’s video “may result from natural elasticity or the pressure of chopsticks when applied to its structure.”

From Salon

Just remember: “Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most, and left the intelligent to become an endangered species.”

From Salon

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

natty natural-born

Browse