natal
adjective
of or relating to a person's birth.
natal
1 American
[neyt-l]
/ ˈneɪt l /
adjective
-
of or relating to a person's birth.
celebrating one's natal day.
-
presiding over or affecting a person at birth.
natal influences.
-
(of places) native.
nostalgia for one's natal town.
Natal
2
American
[nuh-tal, -tahl, nuh-tawl]
/ nəˈtæl, -ˈtɑl, nəˈtɔl /
noun
-
a province in the E part of the Republic of South Africa. 35,284 sq. mi. (91,886 sq. km). Pietermaritzburg.
-
a seaport in E Brazil.
Natal
1
British
noun
-
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
-
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)
natal
2
British
/ ˈneɪtəl /
adjective
-
of or relating to birth
-
a rare word for native
natal instincts
natal
3
British
/ ˈneɪtəl /
adjective
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing natal
"Bonne Annee," Vocabulary from the personal essay
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"Bonne Année" by Jean-Pierre Benoît
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Yet the nuances of their natal charts show the potential for ego-driven friction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Salmon typically feed in the ocean for about three years and then return to their natal streams to spawn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026
Steelhead migrate to the ocean and return to natal freshwater streams to spawn, a cycle that can be impeded by dams and other man-made barriers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 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
"Make one trip of it. Allow me to introduce myself. Name's Davis. Natal, South Africa's my natal spot, ha, ha!"
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
Domingues found the ideal embodiment of this complex character in Kaiony Venâncio, an actor from the city of Natal who had mostly worked in short films.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
Sunday’s rally coincided with that of the smaller opposition Inkatha Freedom Party, which has the populous KwaZulu Natal province as its stronghold and has committed to work with the main opposition.
From Seattle Times ● May 26, 2024
Although it was reported that he and the king were at loggerheads recently over the running and management of the Ingonyama Trust, a body with the role of managing communal land in KwaZulu Natal province.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2023
His party was also blamed for the pre-election violence that engulfed the country and the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal before the country’s historic 1994 elections.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 9, 2023
We were also joined by Billy Nair, a longtime member of the Natal Indian Congress, sentenced for sabotage as a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
