natal

¹ American  

[neyt-l] / ˈneɪt l /

adjective

1. of or relating to a person's birth.

   celebrating one's natal day.

2. presiding over or affecting a person at birth.

   natal influences.

3. (of places) native.

   nostalgia for one's natal town.

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Natal ² American  

[nuh-tal, -tahl, nuh-tawl] / nəˈtæl, -ˈtɑl, nəˈtɔl /

noun

1. a province in the E part of the Republic of South Africa. 35,284 sq. mi. (91,886 sq. km). Pietermaritzburg.

2. a seaport in E Brazil.

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Natal ¹ British  

noun

1. a former province of E South Africa, between the Drakensberg and the Indian Ocean: set up as a republic by the Boers in 1838; became a British colony in 1843; joined South Africa in 1910; replaced by KwaZulu-Natal in 1994. Capital: Pietermaritzburg

2. a port in NE Brazil, capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, near the mouth of the Potengi River. Pop: 1 049 000 (2005 est)

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natal ² British  

/ ˈneɪtəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to birth

2. a rare word for native

   natal instincts

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natal ³ British  

/ ˈneɪtəl /

adjective

1. anatomy of or relating to the buttocks

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Other Word Forms

• Natalian adjective

Etymology

Origin of natal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin nātālis “of or relating to birth,” from nāt(us) “an offspring” (variant of gnātus “born,” past participle of nāscī “to be born”) + -ālis -al ¹; cf. nascent ( def. )

Explanation

Use the adjective natal to describe something that has to do with birth, like an adopted child's natal family, or birth parents. The word natal shows up a lot when doctors talk about birth and pregnancy, especially in "prenatal," which describes what happens before a baby is born. You can also use natal for things that occur at the same time as a birth, like the position of the stars on that day or the town in which a child is born — her natal city. In the fourteenth century, natal meant "pertaining to birthdays," from the Latin word natus, "to be born."

Example Sentences

Steelheads migrate to the ocean and return to their natal streams to spawn, while rainbows spend their lives in freshwater.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2025

Testosterone levels must be "within natal female range... for an appropriate length of time so as to minimise any potential advantage", and hormone treatment must be verified annually.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2024

En 2015 fue la candidata de Morena para dirigir Tlalpan, una alcaldía de su ciudad natal, y ganó.

From Science Magazine • May 8, 2024

"Therefore, it is possible that the behavior is shown by more individuals in his natal population outside the Suaq research area."

From Science Daily • May 2, 2024

The eyases grew their second, heavier coat of natal down when they were about fourteen days old.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• common
• essential
• innate
• instinctive
• legitimate
• logical
• ordinary
• reasonable
• usual