unnatural
Americanadjective
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contrary to the laws or course of nature.
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at variance with the character or nature of a person, animal, or plant.
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at variance with what is normal or to be expected.
the unnatural atmosphere of the place.
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lacking human qualities or sympathies; monstrous; inhuman.
an obsessive and unnatural hatred.
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not genuine or spontaneous; artificial or contrived.
a stiff, unnatural manner.
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Obsolete. lacking a valid or natural claim; illegitimate.
adjective
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contrary to nature; abnormal
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not in accordance with accepted standards of behaviour or right and wrong
unnatural love
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uncanny; supernatural
unnatural phenomena
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affected or forced
an unnatural manner
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inhuman or monstrous; wicked
an unnatural crime
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obsolete illegitimate
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unnatural
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at un- 1, natural
Explanation
Something unnatural is strange, fake, or abnormal. If you dye your hair hot pink, it's going to look unnatural — especially to your conservative grandparents. It's unnatural for a wild animal to live inside someone's house; it goes against the way the animal normally lives in its natural environment. You could also describe your bright blue bottle of juice as an unnatural color. And if you try to impress someone by speaking in a French accent, that would also be unnatural. Unnatural adds the "not" prefix un- to natural, which comes from the Latin word naturalis, "by birth," or "according to nature."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Startup Unnatural Products, for example, early this month disclosed a collaboration with drugmaker Argenx worth more than $1.5 billion, a deal that extended its cash runway significantly, said Unnatural Co-founder and Chief Executive Cameron Pye.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 31, 2025
His influential 1988 film, “Cane Toads: An Unnatural History,” is viewed in schools around the world.
From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2021
On the campaign trail, Bloomberg was The Unnatural, dressed in polo shirts and tasseled loafers, his nasal voice an odd blend of Bahston and New Yawk.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2020
First published in 2007, Roberts’s classic book, The Unnatural History of the Sea, kickstarted much of the current debate about what the sea should be like.
From The Guardian • Oct. 7, 2018
Ten years ago, Tyrion had read a fragment of Unnatural History that had eluded the Blessed Baelor, but he doubted that any of Barth’s work had found its way across the narrow sea.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
