natal

[neyt-l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR natal ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

RELATED WORDS

Origin of natal

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin nātālis of, belonging to one's birth, natal, equivalent to nāt(us) an offspring (variant of gnātus, past participle of nāscī to be born) + -ālis -al¹

Natal

[nuh-tal, -tahl; for 2 also Portuguese nuh-tawl]

noun

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

a seaport in E Brazil.

Related formsNa·tal·i·an, adjective, noun

Rio Grande do Norte

[ree-oo grahn-di doo nawr-ti]

noun

a state in E Brazil. 20,464 sq. mi. (53,000 sq. km). Capital: Natal.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for natal

Contemporary Examples of natal

“Hence, there might be a net benefit, at least to some females, of breeding within the natal group,” the researchers speculate.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family
Helen Thompson
December 29, 2014
With the Moon and Jupiter opposing your natal Sun, weed out extra work, curb spending, and limit social interaction.
What the Stars Hold for Your Week
Starsky + Cox
July 23, 2011
With Jupiter opposing your natal Sun, there is a pressing need for a significant other in your life.
What the Stars Hold For Your Week
Starsky + Cox
July 17, 2011

Historical Examples of natal

Still I must ask the lady to make her statement in her natal name.
The Eternal City
Hall Caine
There were those who knew the bright history of their natal country and adored it.
The Prisoner
Alice Brown
That they were seen in Natal, South Africa, six months before the eruption.
The Book of the Damned
Charles Fort
The Company could no more have taken the Transvaal than it could have taken Natal.
Impressions of South Africa
James Bryce
He had commanded Colonials during the hardest fighting in Natal.
On the Heels of De Wet
The Intelligence Officer

British Dictionary definitions for natal

natal

adjective

of or relating to birth

a rare word for native natal instincts

Word Origin for natal

C14: from Latin nātālis of one's birth, from nātus, from nascī to be born

natal

adjective

anatomy of or relating to the buttocks

Word Origin for natal

from New Latin nates buttocks

Natal

noun

(nəˈtæl) 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

(Portuguese naˈtal) 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)

Rio Grande do Norte

noun

a state of NE Brazil, on the Atlantic: much of it is semiarid plateau. Capital: Natal. Pop: 2 852 784 (2002). Area: 53 014 sq km (20 469 sq miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for natal

adj.

late 14c., "of or pertaining to birthdays," from Latin natalis "pertaining to birth or origin," from natus, past participle of nasci "to be born" (Old Latin gnasci; see genus).

Medicine definitions for natal

natal

[nāt′l]

adj.

Of, relating to, or accompanying birth.

Of or relating to the buttocks.