unnatural

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

/ ʌnˈnætʃ ər əl, -ˈnætʃ rəl /

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adjective

contrary to the laws or course of nature.

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

at variance with what is normal or to be expected: the unnatural atmosphere of the place.

lacking human qualities or sympathies; monstrous; inhuman: an obsessive and unnatural hatred.

not genuine or spontaneous; artificial or contrived: a stiff, unnatural manner.

Obsolete. lacking a valid or natural claim; illegitimate.

OTHER WORDS FOR unnatural

3 irregular, aberrant.

4 heartless, brutal.

See synonyms for unnatural on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of unnatural

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

OTHER WORDS FROM unnatural

un·nat·u·ral·ly, adverbun·nat·u·ral·ness, noun

Words nearby unnatural

unmute, unmuzzle, unmyelinated, unnail, unnamed, unnatural, unnecessary, unnerve, unnerving, unnilennium, unnilhexium

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

How to use unnatural in a sentence

While many cat owners care about wildlife, they also resist such restrictions as unnatural for their cat.
Meatier meals and more playtime might reduce cats’ toll on wildlife|Jonathan Lambert|February 11, 2021|Science News
Anger always seems unnatural to me, and I usually can’t sustain it for long.
The Long Goodbye: How COVID-19 Took My Dad’s Life|Randy Dotinga|January 11, 2021|Voice of San Diego
The smaller your backlink profile, the more impactful any low-quality or unnatural links will be.
The anatomy of a negative SEO attack|Manick Bhan|November 26, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The answer is, you probably should just use it if you cannot get out of a manual action related to unnatural links pointing to your web site.
Google migrates the disavow link tool to new Search Console|Barry Schwartz|November 17, 2020|Search Engine Land

After all, we engage in all sorts of activities that are unnatural but good.
Just Because It’s Natural Doesn’t Mean It’s Good - Issue 89: The Dark Side|David P. Barash|August 19, 2020|Nautilus
Death by pills or lethal injection might be unnatural, but she believes that declining nourishment and medications is not.
The Nurse Coaching People Through Death by Starvation|Nick Tabor|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The group is working on inserting the unnatural base pairs in more than one spot in the cell.
Synthetic DNA: The New Drug Makers?|Elizabeth Lopatto|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not only is post-Yanukovych Ukraine dominated by a fascist clique, it is controlled by unnatural women.
Want a Good Look at Putin’s Pervy Propaganda? See ‘The Furies of Maidan’|Cathy Young|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now in his 80s, Blankenship claims to have charted out tunnels, corridors, and large, unnatural underground caverns.
Treasure Hunt to Discover Oak Island’s Mysterious Booty|Nina Strochlic|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Above water, unnatural animal and human interactions continue to rise.
How Climate Change Is Causing Chaos in the Animal Kingdom|Nina Strochlic|January 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I congratulate you on your engagement," he said at last, looking up with a face that seemed to Bernard hard and unnatural.
Confidence|Henry James
But at the root of the unnatural miracles is the natural miracle—the heart of man.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
Her bare shoulders looked waxen and unnatural in the weird light which shone down upon them.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
Its power was surely unnatural, and, combined with his now expressionless face, made upon her an effect that was painful.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
Her face was drawn and pinched, her sweet blue eyes haggard and unnatural.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for unnatural

unnatural

/ (ʌnˈnætʃərəl, -ˈnætʃrəl) /

adjective

contrary to nature; abnormal

not in accordance with accepted standards of behaviour or right and wrongunnatural love

uncanny; supernaturalunnatural phenomena

affected or forcedan unnatural manner

inhuman or monstrous; wickedan unnatural crime

obsolete illegitimate

Derived forms of unnatural

unnaturally, adverbunnaturalness, 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

unnatural

OTHER WORDS FOR unnatural

Origin of unnatural

OTHER WORDS FROM unnatural

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How to use unnatural in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unnatural

Derived forms of unnatural