natural
Americanadjective
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existing in or formed by nature.
The river was spanned by a natural rock bridge.
- Antonyms:
- artificial
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based on the state or behavior of things in nature; constituted by nature.
Growth is a natural process.
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of or relating to nature or the universe.
The natural beauty of this forest is remarkable.
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of, relating to, or occupied with the study of natural science.
The discovery of the laws of motion occurred through conducting natural experiments.
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(of land) in a state of nature; uncultivated.
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(of plants) growing spontaneously, without being planted or tended by humans.
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having undergone little or no processing and containing no chemical additives.
The restaurant is famous for serving only natural food made with only natural ingredients.
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relating to hair, especially Black hair, that has not been straightened, permed, or otherwise altered in texture.
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of, relating to, or proper to the nature or essential constitution.
Her natural athletic ability had brought her a wonderful basketball career.
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having the specified character by nature; natural-born.
You can tell from his fun, interesting classes that he's a natural teacher.
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proper to the circumstances of the case.
The loss of his social circle was a natural result of his greed.
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free from affectation or constraint.
The celebrity had a charming and natural manner.
- Synonyms:
- unmannered, genuine, unaffected, spontaneous
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arising easily or spontaneously.
The mayor is known for his natural courtesy to strangers.
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conforming with the nature or character of things.
That sentence may be grammatical, but it is not natural English.
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in accordance with or conforming to the ordinary course of things.
It was natural that he should hit back after being punched.
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(of a death) happening in the ordinary or usual course of things, without the intervention of accident, violence, etc.
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based upon the innate moral feeling of humankind.
natural justice.
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having or showing feelings, such as affection, gratitude, or kindness, considered part of basic human nature.
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true to or closely imitating nature.
It's a very natural portrait of her.
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not tinted or colored; undyed.
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not treated, tanned, refined, etc.; in its original or raw state.
natural wood;
natural cowhide.
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being or having a pale tannish or grayish-yellow color, as many woods and untreated animal skins.
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related by blood rather than by adoption.
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born of parents who are not married to each other; illegitimate.
a natural son.
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having a real or physical existence, as opposed to one that is spiritual, intellectual, fictitious, etc.
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(of theology) based on what is learned from nature rather than on revelation.
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unenlightened or unregenerate.
the natural man.
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Music.
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neither sharp nor flat.
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changed in pitch by the sign ♮.
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(of a horn or trumpet) having neither side holes nor valves.
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Cards.
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being a card other than a wild card or joker.
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(of a set or sequence of cards) containing no wild cards.
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null 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
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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!
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Music.
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a white key on a piano, organ, or the like.
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the sign ♮, placed before a note, canceling the effect of a previous sharp or flat.
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a note affected by a ♮, or a tone thus represented.
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a natural substance or a product made with such a substance.
This boot conditioner is an ointment containing mink oil and other naturals.
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Cards. blackjack.
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Older Use. Afro.
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(in craps) a winning combination of seven or eleven made on the first cast.
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Archaic. a person with an intellectual disability.
adjective
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of, existing in, or produced by nature
natural science
natural cliffs
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in accordance with human nature
it is only natural to want to be liked
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as is normal or to be expected; ordinary or logical
the natural course of events
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not acquired; innate
a natural gift for sport
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being so through innate qualities
a natural leader
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not supernatural or strange
natural phenomena
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not constrained or affected; genuine or spontaneous
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not artificially dyed or coloured
a natural blonde
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following or resembling nature or life; lifelike
she looked more natural without her make-up
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not affected by man or civilization; uncultivated; wild
in the natural state this animal is not ferocious
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being or made from organic material; not synthetic
a natural fibre like cotton
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illegitimate; born out of wedlock
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not adopted but rather related by blood
her natural parents
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music
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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
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determined by inborn conviction
natural justice
natural rights
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cards
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(of a card) not a joker or wild card
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(of a canasta or sequence) containing no wild cards
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(of a bid in bridge) describing genuine values; not conventional
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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
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informal a person or thing regarded as certain to qualify for success, selection, etc
the horse was a natural for first place
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music
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pontoon the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his or her first two cards
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obsolete an imbecile; idiot
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of natural
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
Explanation
Natural describes something that comes from nature, rather than being man-made. Your healthy friend who only eats natural food will probably choose carrots instead of potato chips for a snack. The adjective natural is a common word with a lot of meanings. It describes anything that comes from nature, but it also means "inborn" when you describe your basketball-star friend as a natural athlete. You can also use it to talk about someone being at ease ("he tried to act natural when the police passed by") or to mean "inevitable," as when you say, "It's only natural that those two ended up getting married."
Vocabulary lists containing natural
'Tis A Gift To Be Simple: Words For National Simplicity Day
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Music - Middle School
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Music - High School
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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.
Becerra responded with an ad that highlighted California’s natural beauty, from the coastline to the desert to the redwoods, as a respite from the deluge of Steyer ads.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
He has absolutely no authority to prevent any party from seeking relief in another court, let alone the home courts with natural jurisdiction over this dispute.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
The Book of Exodus famously renders this principle as “an eye for an eye,” making revenge anatomical, as if it were as natural as we are.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Uniper was Germany’s largest importer of Russian natural gas, flows of which were cut off after the diplomatic crisis that followed Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor early in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Team members placed a pregnant female panda in a semi-wild enclosure about one acre in size—with natural vegetation and a den where the soon-to-be mother could give birth.
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
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.
