nature

[ ney-cher ]

/ ˈneɪ tʃər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for nature on Thesaurus.com

noun

the material world, especially as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities.

the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilization: In nature, wild dogs hunt in packs.

the elements of the natural world, as mountains, trees, animals, or rivers: The abandoned power plant was reclaimed by nature, covered in overgrowth and home to feral animals.

natural scenery: Tourists at the resort are surrounded by nature.

the universe, with all its phenomena: Conservation of energy is a universal law of nature.

the sum total of the forces at work throughout the universe.

reality, as distinguished from any effect of art: a portrait true to nature.

the particular combination of qualities belonging to a person, animal, thing, or class by birth, origin, or constitution; native or inherent character: human nature.

the instincts or inherent tendencies directing conduct: a man of good nature.

character, kind, or sort: two books of the same nature.

characteristic disposition; temperament: a self-willed nature;an evil nature.

the original, natural, uncivilized condition of humankind.

the biological functions or the urges to satisfy their requirements.

a primitive, wild condition; an uncultivated state.

a simple, uncluttered mode of life without the conveniences or distractions of civilization: a return to nature.

(initial capital letter, italics) a prose work (1836), by Ralph Waldo Emerson, expounding transcendentalism.

Theology. the moral state as unaffected by grace.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about nature

by nature, as a result of inborn or inherent qualities; innately: She is by nature a kindhearted person.

in a state of nature,

in an uncivilized or uncultured condition.
without clothes; nude; naked.

of / in the nature of, having the character or qualities of: in the nature of an apology.

Origin of nature

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English natur(e), from Old French, from Latin nātūra “conditions of birth, quality, character, natural order, world,” equivalent tonāt(us) (past participle of nāscī “to be born”) + -ūra noun suffix; see -ure

OTHER WORDS FROM nature

na·ture·like, adjectivean·ti·na·ture, adjective, noun

Words nearby nature

natural theology, natural virtue, natural virtues, natural wastage, natura non facit saltum, nature, Nature Conservancy Council, natured, nature-nurture controversy, nature reserve, nature's call

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nature in a sentence

That’s the nature of business, and in this author’s opinion, it is precisely why the best solution is for Platforms to cease the obfuscation of data for the sake of more automated campaign types that may or may not work as well for all advertisers.
This decade’s most important marketing question: What data rights do advertisers possess?|Kirk Williams|September 17, 2020|Search Engine Land
“People are trying to figure out how we can work with nature to improve the health of these wetlands,” Narayan says.
Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 17, 2020|Science News For Students
I like his account so much that I wish its central idea didn’t conflict with pretty much everything that I’ve written about the nature of belief over the past 25 years.
Believing in Monsters: David Livingstone Smith on the Subhuman - Facts So Romantic|Eric Schwitzgebel|September 11, 2020|Nautilus
My proposal is that the inherently directed nature of Reality entails that it’s objectively good for Reality when it manifests as pleasure and objectively bad for Reality when it manifests as pain.
The Universe Knows Right from Wrong - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Philip Goff|September 9, 2020|Nautilus

Truth be told, given the precarious nature of Antetokounmpo’s future — he can become an unrestricted free agent after next season — just about everything should be on the table.
The Bucks Played It Safe And Made The Wrong Kind Of History|Chris Herring (chris.herring@fivethirtyeight.com)|September 9, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The “nature of the crime” was too serious to release him, they said.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That explanation is believable…but increasingly less so when you hear Jay talk about the nature of his relationship with Adnan.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, it appears it is this very open nature that the Lizard Squad is attempting to exploit.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Science imitates nature as researchers dream up robotic dogs, cheetahs, sharks and even cockroaches.
Meet Our Animal Robot Overlords|James Joiner|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His constant worship of his wife stands in stark contrast to scandals of the domestic nature in other sports.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player|William O’Connor|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is one of the most striking manifestations of the better side of child-nature and deserves a chapter to itself.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Of course the expression of this value is modified and characterized by the nature of the thing spoken of.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The pictures of flowers which this artist paints prove her to be a devoted lover of nature.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
So it commands the other sciences in all the wonderful and hidden things of nature and art (pp. 510-511).
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor
It was Carmena, every nerve of her loyal nature on the alert to baffle this pursuer of Alessandro and Ramona.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

British Dictionary definitions for nature

nature

/ (ˈneɪtʃə) /

noun

the fundamental qualities of a person or thing; identity or essential character

(often capital, esp when personified) the whole system of the existence, arrangement, forces, and events of all physical life that are not controlled by man

all natural phenomena and plant and animal life, as distinct from man and his creations

a wild primitive state untouched by man or civilization

natural unspoilt scenery or countryside

disposition or temperament

tendencies, desires, or instincts governing behaviour

the normal biological needs or urges of the body

sort; kind; character

the real appearance of a person or thinga painting very true to nature

accepted standards of basic morality or behaviour

biology the complement of genetic material that partly determines the structure of an organism; genotypeCompare nurture (def. 3)

Irish sympathy and fondness for one's own people or native placeshe is full of nature

against nature unnatural or immoral

by nature essentially or innately

call of nature informal, euphemistic, or jocular the need to urinate or defecate

from nature using natural models in drawing, painting, etc

in the nature of or of the nature of essentially the same as; by way of

Word Origin for nature

C13: via Old French from Latin nātūra, from nātus, past participle of nascī to be born

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

Scientific definitions for nature

nature

[ nā′chər ]

The world and its naturally occurring phenomena, together with all of the physical laws that govern them.

Living organisms and their environments.

Other Idioms and Phrases with nature

nature

see call of nature; good nature; second nature.

nature

Idioms about nature

Origin of nature

OTHER WORDS FROM nature

Words nearby nature

Words related to nature

How to use nature in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nature

Word Origin for nature

Scientific definitions for nature

Other Idioms and Phrases with nature