natural

[ nach-er-uhl, nach-ruhl ]

/ ˈnætʃ ər əl, ˈnætʃ rəl /

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See synonyms for: natural / naturals / naturalness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

existing in or formed by nature (opposed to artificial): a natural bridge.

based on the state of things in nature; constituted by nature: Growth is a natural process.

of or relating to nature or the universe: natural beauty.

of, relating to, or occupied with the study of natural science: conducting natural experiments.

in a state of nature; uncultivated, as land.

growing spontaneously, without being planted or tended by human hand, as vegetation.

having undergone little or no processing and containing no chemical additives: natural food; natural ingredients.Compare organic (def. 11).

having a real or physical existence, as opposed to one that is spiritual, intellectual, fictitious, etc.

of, relating to, or proper to the nature or essential constitution: natural ability.

proper to the circumstances of the case: a natural result of his greed.

free from affectation or constraint: a natural manner.

arising easily or spontaneously: a natural courtesy to strangers.

consonant with the nature or character of.

in accordance with the nature of things: It was natural that he should hit back.

based upon the innate moral feeling of humankind: natural justice.

in conformity with the ordinary course of nature; not unusual or exceptional.

happening in the ordinary or usual course of things, without the intervention of accident, violence, etc.

related only by birth; of no legal relationship; illegitimate: a natural son.

related by blood rather than by adoption.

based on what is learned from nature rather than on revelation.

true to or closely imitating nature: a natural representation.

unenlightened or unregenerate: the natural man.

being such by nature; born such: a natural fool.

Music.

neither sharp nor flat.
changed in pitch by the sign ♮.

not treated, tanned, refined, etc.; in its original or raw state: natural wood; natural cowhide.

(of a horn or trumpet) having neither side holes nor valves.

not tinted or colored; undyed.

having a pale tannish or grayish-yellow color, as many woods and untreated animal skins.

Cards.

being a card other than a wild card or joker.
(of a set or sequence of cards) containing no wild cards.

having or showing feelings, as affection, gratitude, or kindness, considered part of basic human nature.

Afro (def. 2).

noun

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.

Music.

a white key on a piano, organ, or the like.
the sign ♮, placed before a note, canceling the effect of a previous sharp or flat.
a note affected by a ♮, or a tone thus represented.

an idiot.

Cards. blackjack (def. 1c).

Afro (def. 1).

(in craps) a winning combination of seven or eleven made on the first cast.

a natural substance or a product made with such a substance: an ointment containing mink oil and other naturals.

OTHER WORDS FOR natural

11 spontaneous, unaffected, genuine, unmannered.

See synonyms for natural on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of natural

1300–50; Middle English <Latin nātūrālis (see nature, -al¹); replacing Middle English naturel<Middle French <Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM natural

nat·u·ral·ness, nounan·ti·nat·u·ral, adjectivean·ti·nat·u·ral·ly, adverban·ti·nat·u·ral·ness, noun

hy·per·nat·u·ral, adjectivehy·per·nat·u·ral·ly, adverbhy·per·nat·u·ral·ness, nounnon·nat·u·ral, adjectivenon·nat·u·ral·ly, adverbnon·nat·u·ral·ness, nounpre·nat·u·ral, adjectivequa·si-nat·u·ral, adjectivequa·si-nat·u·ral·ly, adverbsub·nat·u·ral, adjectivesub·nat·u·ral·ly, adverbsub·nat·u·ral·ness, nountrans·nat·ur·al, adjectivetrans·nat·ur·al·ly, adverb

Words nearby natural

Natsume, Natta, natter, natterjack, natty, natural, natural-born, Natural Bridge, Natural Bridges, natural child, natural childbirth

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use natural in a sentence

The frequency of high fire weather days in the Amazon increased above natural variability starting in 1997, according to a 2018 study published in Geophysical Research Letters.
What wildfires in Brazil, Siberia, and the US West have in common|Lili Pike|September 17, 2020|Vox
These cork boards are made from 100 percent natural cork and come in a 10-pack of hexagon-shaped boards.
Cork boards for organizing your home or office|PopSci Commerce Team|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science
That famously includes removing the US from the landmark Paris climate accords and replacing Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which limits emissions from coal and natural-gas plants.
Trump’s rollbacks could add half an EU’s worth of climate pollution by 2035|James Temple|September 17, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Our job — and it’s the key job — is to change the zeitgeist, people’s sense of what’s normal and natural and obvious.
Want to fight climate change effectively? Here’s where to donate your money.|Sigal Samuel|September 17, 2020|Vox

When you immerse yourself in the natural world, you wander a little through the landscape of your soul.
What the Meadow Teaches Us - Issue 90: Something Green|Andreas Weber|September 16, 2020|Nautilus
In 2007 he said he had discovered a cure for AIDS using natural herbs.
The Shadowy U.S. Veteran Who Tried to Overthrow a Country|Jacob Siegel|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Total oil production figures include crude oil, natural gas liquids, and other liquid energy products.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
On top of oil, the United States produces significantly more natural gas than Saudi Arabia.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
More to the point, Huckabee has a natural appeal to a party that has come to represent the bulk of working class white voters.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?|Lloyd Green|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He declared that Western women are sexually promiscuous in a manner not even found in the natural world.
50 Shades of Iran: The Mullahs’ Kinky Fantasies about Sex in the West|IranWire, Shima Sharabi|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is full of poetic feeling, and the flesh tints are unusually natural.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
The place was well defended by earthworks and natural parapets, and for several hours the issue of the contest was doubtful.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
In the old world, poverty seemed, and poverty was, the natural and inevitable lot of the greater portion of mankind.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Whatever the species, it is well to imitate the natural conditions as much as possible in the way of soil.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
Piedmont alone vies with her, and is improving far more rapidly, but Lombardy has great natural capacities peculiarly her own.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for natural

natural

/ (ˈnætʃrəl, -tʃərəl) /

adjective

of, existing in, or produced by naturenatural science; natural cliffs

in accordance with human natureit is only natural to want to be liked

as is normal or to be expected; ordinary or logicalthe natural course of events

not acquired; innatea natural gift for sport

being so through innate qualitiesa natural leader

not supernatural or strangenatural phenomena

not constrained or affected; genuine or spontaneous

not artificially dyed or coloureda natural blonde

following or resembling nature or life; lifelikeshe looked more natural without her make-up

not affected by man or civilization; uncultivated; wildin the natural state this animal is not ferocious

being or made from organic material; not synthetica natural fibre like cotton

illegitimate; born out of wedlock

not adopted but rather related by bloodher natural parents

music

not sharp or flat
(postpositive) denoting a note that is neither sharp nor flatB natural
(of a key or scale) containing no sharps or flatsCompare flat 1 (def. 23), sharp (def. 12)

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

determined by inborn convictionnatural justice; natural rights

cards

(of a card) not a joker or wild card
(of a canasta or sequence) containing no wild cards
(of a bid in bridge) describing genuine values; not conventional

based on the principles and findings of human reason and what is to be learned of God from nature rather than on revelationnatural religion

noun

informal a person or thing regarded as certain to qualify for success, selection, etcthe horse was a natural for first place

music

Also called (US): cancel an accidental cancelling a previous sharp or flatUsual symbol: ♮
a note affected by this accidentalCompare flat 1 (def. 35), sharp (def. 19)

pontoon the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his or her first two cards

obsolete an imbecile; idiot

Derived forms of natural

naturalness, noun

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with natural

natural

see under big as life.

natural

OTHER WORDS FOR natural

Origin of natural

OTHER WORDS FROM natural

Words nearby natural

Words related to natural

How to use natural in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for natural

Derived forms of natural

Other Idioms and Phrases with natural