unnatural

[uhn-nach-er-uhl, -nach-ruhl]

adjective

1. contrary to the laws or course of nature.

2. at variance with the character or nature of a person, animal, or plant.

3. at variance with what is normal or to be expected.

   the unnatural atmosphere of the place.

   Synonyms: aberrant, irregular

4. lacking human qualities or sympathies; monstrous; inhuman.

   an obsessive and unnatural hatred.

   Synonyms: brutal, heartless

5. not genuine or spontaneous; artificial or contrived.

   a stiff, unnatural manner.

6. Obsolete.,  lacking a valid or natural claim; illegitimate.

unnatural

/ -ˈnætʃrəl, ʌnˈnætʃərəl /

adjective

1. contrary to nature; abnormal

2. not in accordance with accepted standards of behaviour or right and wrong

   unnatural love

3. uncanny; supernatural

   unnatural phenomena

4. affected or forced

   an unnatural manner

5. inhuman or monstrous; wicked

   an unnatural crime

6. obsolete,  illegitimate

Other Word Forms

• unnaturally adverb
• unnaturalness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unnatural¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; un- ¹, natural

Example Sentences

It feels abnormal, unnatural to walk away from family to most of us.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Begging to work is a humiliating, not to mention deeply unnatural, state.

Read more on Salon

People should watch out for unnatural eye movements and facial expressions, hair that seems a bit too perfect and an absence of an outline of individual teeth.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Gestural markings of pencil and watercolor emphasize the artist’s hand, which underscores the human, unnatural fabrication of the casta system’s racial categorizations.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In a post to X, he suggested that water in the video "looks very stylized and unnatural".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• abnormal 
• bizarre 
• incredible 
• odd 
• outlandish 
• outrageous 
• perverse 
• preposterous 
• stilted 
• strange 
• unusual