natural-born
Americanadjective
-
by virtue of one's nature, qualities, or innate talent.
a natural-born musician.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of natural-born
First recorded in 1575–85
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.
Like everyone else, he knows all the local lore, including what would happen if the island were to wake up – or if any of its natural-born citizens try to escape it.
From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026
Some 80,000 natural-born Americans reside in Spain, a number that doesn’t fully count students, dual citizens, workers on short-term contracts or residents who believe they will return to the U.S. in the near future.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Titled “Mary Magdalene,” it mixes fact and fiction, as in general seems to be Davis’ wont as a natural-born storyteller, always refining her tale through fabulation and embellishment.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025
Pierre Schoeman tells a story from his youth in South Africa, a natural-born raconteur in adulthood speaking of the adventurous spirit of his 13-year-old self.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2025
Her son, the teenage Tolstoyan, believed that wealth was shameful, corrupting, inherently evil—which is ironic because Chris was a natural-born capitalist with an uncanny knack for making a buck.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
