natural

[ nach-er-uhl, nach-ruhl ]

adjective

1. existing in or formed by nature ( artificial ):

   The river was spanned by a natural rock bridge.

2. based on the state or behavior of things in nature; constituted by nature:

   Growth is a natural process.

3. of or relating to nature or the universe:

   The natural beauty of this forest is remarkable.

4. of, relating to, or occupied with the study of natural science:

   The discovery of the laws of motion occurred through conducting natural experiments.

5. (of land) in a state of nature; uncultivated.
6. (of plants) growing spontaneously, without being planted or tended by humans.
7. 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.

8. relating to hair, especially Black hair, that has not been straightened, permed, or otherwise altered in texture.
9. of, relating to, or proper to the nature or essential constitution:

   Her natural athletic ability had brought her a wonderful basketball career.

10. having the specified character by nature; natural-born:

    You can tell from his fun, interesting classes that he's a natural teacher.

11. proper to the circumstances of the case:

    The loss of his social circle was a natural result of his greed.

12. free from affectation or constraint:

    The celebrity had a charming and natural manner.

    Synonyms: unmannered, genuine, unaffected, spontaneous

13. arising easily or spontaneously:

    The mayor is known for his natural courtesy to strangers.

14. conforming with the nature or character of things:

    That sentence may be grammatical, but it is not natural English.

15. in accordance with or conforming to the ordinary course of things:

    It was natural that he should hit back after being punched.

16. (of a death) happening in the ordinary or usual course of things, without the intervention of accident, violence, etc.
17. based upon the innate moral feeling of humankind:

    natural justice.

18. having or showing feelings, such as affection, gratitude, or kindness, considered part of basic human nature.
19. true to or closely imitating nature:

    It's a very natural portrait of her.

20. not tinted or colored; undyed.
21. not treated, tanned, refined, etc.; in its original or raw state:

    natural wood;

    natural cowhide.

22. being or having a pale tannish or grayish-yellow color, as many woods and untreated animal skins.
23. related by blood rather than by adoption.
24. born of parents who are not married to each other; illegitimate:

    a natural son.

25. having a real or physical existence, as opposed to one that is spiritual, intellectual, fictitious, etc.
26. (of theology) based on what is learned from nature rather than on revelation.
27. unenlightened or unregenerate:

    the natural man.

28. Music.
    1. neither sharp nor flat.
    2. changed in pitch by the sign ♮.
29. (of a horn or trumpet) having neither side holes nor valves.
30. Cards.
    1. being a card other than a wild card or joker.
    2. (of a set or sequence of cards) containing no wild cards.
31. 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

1. 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!

2. 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.
3. a natural substance or a product made with such a substance:

   This boot conditioner is an ointment containing mink oil and other naturals.

4. Cards. blackjack ( def 1c ).
5. Older Use. Afro ( def 1 ).
6. (in craps) a winning combination of seven or eleven made on the first cast.
7. Archaic. a person with an intellectual disability.

natural

/ ˈnætʃrəl; -tʃərəl /

adjective

1. of, existing in, or produced by nature

   natural science

   natural cliffs

2. in accordance with human nature

   it is only natural to want to be liked

3. as is normal or to be expected; ordinary or logical

   the natural course of events

4. not acquired; innate

   a natural gift for sport

5. being so through innate qualities

   a natural leader

6. not supernatural or strange

   natural phenomena

7. not constrained or affected; genuine or spontaneous
8. not artificially dyed or coloured

   a natural blonde

9. following or resembling nature or life; lifelike

   she looked more natural without her make-up

10. not affected by man or civilization; uncultivated; wild

    in the natural state this animal is not ferocious

11. being or made from organic material; not synthetic

    a natural fibre like cotton

12. illegitimate; born out of wedlock
13. not adopted but rather related by blood

    her natural parents

14. 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
15. 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
16. determined by inborn conviction

    natural rights

    natural justice

17. 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
18. 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

1. informal.
   a person or thing regarded as certain to qualify for success, selection, etc

   the horse was a natural for first place

2. 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
3. pontoon the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his or her first two cards
4. obsolete.
   an imbecile; idiot

Derived Forms

• ˈnaturalness, noun

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

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

Idioms and Phrases

see under big as life .

Example Sentences

The frequency of high fire weather days in the Amazon increased above natural variability starting in 1997, according to a 2018 study published in Geophysical Research Letters.

From Vox

These cork boards are made from 100 percent natural cork and come in a 10-pack of hexagon-shaped boards.

From Popular-Science

That famously includes removing the US from the landmark Paris climate accords and replacing Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which limits emissions from coal and natural-gas plants.

From MIT Technology Review

Our job — and it’s the key job — is to change the zeitgeist, people’s sense of what’s normal and natural and obvious.

From Vox

When you immerse yourself in the natural world, you wander a little through the landscape of your soul.

From Nautilus

In 2007 he said he had discovered a cure for AIDS using natural herbs.

From The Daily Beast

Total oil production figures include crude oil, natural gas liquids, and other liquid energy products.

From The Daily Beast

On top of oil, the United States produces significantly more natural gas than Saudi Arabia.

From The Daily Beast

More to the point, Huckabee has a natural appeal to a party that has come to represent the bulk of working class white voters.

From The Daily Beast

He declared that Western women are sexually promiscuous in a manner not even found in the natural world.

From The Daily Beast

It is full of poetic feeling, and the flesh tints are unusually natural.

From Project Gutenberg

The place was well defended by earthworks and natural parapets, and for several hours the issue of the contest was doubtful.

From Project Gutenberg

In the old world, poverty seemed, and poverty was, the natural and inevitable lot of the greater portion of mankind.

From Project Gutenberg

Whatever the species, it is well to imitate the natural conditions as much as possible in the way of soil.

From Project Gutenberg

Piedmont alone vies with her, and is improving far more rapidly, but Lombardy has great natural capacities peculiarly her own.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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