naturalism

American  

[nach-er-uh-liz-uhm, nach-ruh-] / ˈnætʃ ər əˌlɪz əm, ˈnætʃ rə- /

noun

1. Literature.

   1. a manner or technique of treating subject matter that presents, through volume of detail, a deterministic view of human life and actions.

   2. a deterministic theory of writing in which it is held that a writer should adopt an objective view toward the material written about, be free of preconceived ideas as to form and content, and represent with clinical accuracy and frankness the details of life.

   3. a representation of natural appearances or natural patterns of speech, manner, etc., in a work of fiction.

   4. the depiction of the physical environment, especially landscape or the rural environment.

2. (in a work of art) treatment of forms, colors, space, etc., as they appear or might appear in nature.

3. action arising from or based on natural instincts and desires alone.

4. Philosophy.

   1. the view of the world that takes account only of natural elements and forces, excluding the supernatural or spiritual.

   2. the belief that all phenomena are covered by laws of science and that all teleological explanations are therefore without value.

5. Theology.

   1. the doctrine that all religious truth is derived from a study of natural processes and not from revelation.

   2. the doctrine that natural religion is sufficient for salvation.

6. adherence or attachment to what is natural.

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naturalism British  

/ -tʃərə-, ˈnætʃrəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. 1. a movement, esp in art and literature, advocating detailed realistic and factual description, esp that in 19th-century France in the writings of Zola, Flaubert, etc

   2. the characteristics or effects of this movement

2. a school of painting or sculpture characterized by the faithful imitation of appearances for their own sake

3. the belief that all religious truth is based not on revelation but rather on the study of natural causes and processes

4. philosophy

   1. a scientific account of the world in terms of causes and natural forces that rejects all spiritual, supernatural, or teleological explanations

   2. the meta-ethical thesis that moral properties are reducible to natural ones, or that ethical judgments are derivable from nonethical ones Compare naturalistic fallacy descriptivism

5. action or thought caused by natural desires and instincts

6. devotion to that which is natural

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naturalism ¹ Cultural  

1. A movement in literature and the arts, and an approach to philosophy. Literary and artistic naturalism aims at accuracy and objectivity and cultivates realistic and even sordid portrayals of people and their environment. Philosophical naturalism, which is often identified with materialism, holds that minds, spirits, and ideas are fundamentally material.

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naturalism ² Cultural  

1. In the visual arts, an attempt to depict the natural world as accurately and objectively as possible.

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Other Word Forms

• antinaturalism noun
• nonnaturalism noun

Etymology

Origin of naturalism

First recorded in 1635–45; natural + -ism

Explanation

Naturalism is the belief that nothing exists beyond the natural world. Instead of using supernatural or spiritual explanations, naturalism focuses on explanations that come from the laws of nature. Beyond the belief that everything can be explained using nature, naturalism is also a term for a particular style of art and literature from the 19th century. Naturalism refers to a realistic approach to art that rejects idealized experiences. So when you look at a painting that embodies the spirit of naturalism, you'll notice it capturing the real world rather than trying to make things look better than they are. With naturalism: what you see is what you get.

Example Sentences

The Morgan Library & Museum puts the Baroque master’s early canvas in the context of his contemporaries and precursors, emphasizing his extraordinary naturalism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

The other is biological naturalism, which argues the opposite.

From Science Daily • Dec. 24, 2025

But Mr. Sachs also takes an overarching, cinematic approach that gently departs from the movie’s moment-to-moment naturalism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

A decent actor needs both naturalism and performance skill.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2025

All my life had shaped me for the realism, the naturalism of the modern novel, and I could not read enough of them.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• faithfulness
• loyalty