natal
1 Americanadjective
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of or relating to a person's birth.
celebrating one's natal day.
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presiding over or affecting a person at birth.
natal influences.
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(of places) native.
nostalgia for one's natal town.
noun
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a province in the E part of the Republic of South Africa. 35,284 sq. mi. (91,886 sq. km). Pietermaritzburg.
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a seaport in E Brazil.
noun
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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
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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)
adjective
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of or relating to birth
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a rare word for native
natal instincts
adjective
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; nascent ( def. )
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.
Despite his injury, his natal pack welcomes him back, ensuring he eats his share and keeps up on hunts.
From BBC
Steelheads migrate to the ocean and return to their natal streams to spawn, while rainbows spend their lives in freshwater.
From Los Angeles Times
Scripture and natal charts existed in tandem, along with palm-reading diagrams, recipes for potions and instructions for alchemical reactions.
From Los Angeles Times
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
Silvery steelhead migrate to the ocean and return to natal freshwater streams to spawn, a cycle that can be impeded by dams and concrete channels.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
