unnatural

American  

[uhn-nach-er-uhl, -nach-ruhl] / ʌnˈnætʃ ər əl, -ˈnætʃ rəl /

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.

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unnatural British  

/ -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

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Other Word Forms

• unnaturalness
  noun
• unnaturally
  adverb

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."

Related Words

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