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

I loved the characters, major and minor, and how their eccentricities sit in a bed of naturalism.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s what gives this compassionate, cautiously hopeful movie’s open-eyed naturalism a wonderful, pulsating humanity.

From Los Angeles Times

The raw spontaneous energy and naturalism of Silver’s films result from close collaboration with his artistic team, including his writers and actors.

From New York Times

But contemporary treatments of Shakespeare’s texts — eschewing naturalism, foregrounding psychological elements and topical resonances — are more in vogue.

From New York Times

For 90 tightly-wound minutes, Green mixes bleary naturalism and baked-in dread, as these modern women are exposed to the handsy, winking Neanderthal clientele, and the bar turns into a ticking time bomb.

From New York Times

Related Words

• constancy
• faithfulness