Natural — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈna-ch(ə-)rəl/ nat·u·ral

Meaning & Definition of Natural

Natural (adjective)

  1. based on an inherent sense of right and wrong
  2. being in accordance with or determined by nature
  3. having or constituting a classification based on features existing in nature

Natural (noun)

  1. one born without the usual powers of reason and understanding
  2. a sign ♮ placed on any degree of the musical staff to nullify the effect of a preceding sharp or flat
  3. a note or tone affected by the natural sign

Natural (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. closely resembling the object imitated

    "the diorama featuring stuffed birds and plastic plants actually looked very natural"

    similar: lifelike, living, naturalistic, near, photo-realistic, realistic, three-dimensional
    related: alike, like, matching, similar, verisimilar, akin, analogous, approximate, comparable, resembling, accurate, close, faithful, true, compelling, convincing, expressive, graphic, gritty, vivid
    opposite: nonnatural, nonrealistic, unnatural, unrealistic
    near: dissimilar, off, unalike, unlike, incomparable, unmatched, contrasted, contrasting, different, disparate, fake, mock, phony, sham

  2. being such from birth or by nature

    "from his first visits to the wading pool, we could tell that our little boy loved water and was a natural swimmer"

    similar: born, congenital
    related: chronic, confirmed, habitual, incorrigible, ingrained, inveterate, proper, regular, unreconstructed, unregenerate, constitutional, consummate, elemental, elementary, essential, connate, hereditary, inborn, inherent, innate, intimate, intrinsic, native, instinctual, intuitive
    opposite: nonnatural
    near: cultivated, developed, trained, alien, foreign, unnatural

  3. being such by blood and not by adoption or marriage

    "an adult adoptee who has decided to search for his natural parents"

    similar: biological, birth, consanguineous
    related: legitimate
    opposite: adopted, adoptive, nonbiological
    near: illegitimate

  4. being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing

    "her natural talent for music first became apparent when, unbidden, she started banging on a toy piano"

    similar: built-in, constitutional, constitutive, essential, hardwired, immanent, inborn, inbred, indigenous, ingrain, ingrained, inherent, innate, integral, intrinsic, native, in one's blood
    related: basic, deep-rooted, elemental, fundamental, congenital, hereditary, inherited, inmost, inner, interior, internal, characteristic, distinctive, peculiar, habitual, inveterate, normal, regular, typical
    opposite: adventitious, extraneous, extrinsic
    near: alien, foreign, accidental, coincidental, incidental, acquired, adscititious, superficial, surface, exterior, external

  5. being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining

    "natural salts are not edible until they are washed and processed"

    similar: crude, native, raw, rude, undressed, unprocessed, unrefined, untreated, in the raw, in the rough
    related: undeveloped, rough-hewn, semifinished, unfinished, unpolished, uncooked, impure, unfiltered
    opposite: dressed, processed, refined, treated
    near: filtered, pure, purified

  6. existing without human habitation or cultivation

    "photographs of animals in their natural habitat"

    similar: uncultivated, untamed, virgin, wild
    related: native, uninhabited, unpeopled, unsettled, overgrown, spontaneous, untended, waste, undeveloped, desolate, forlorn, howling
    opposite: cultivated, tamed
    near: inhabited, developed, seminatural

  7. free from any intent to deceive or impress others

    "she was completely natural in expressing her feelings for him, unafraid of how they would be received"

    similar: artless, genuine, guileless, honest, ingenuous, innocent, naive, real, simple, sincere, true, unaffected, unpretending, unpretentious, on the level
    related: childlike, dewy-eyed, gee-whiz, impressionable, inexperienced, malleable, persuadable, persuasible, simpleminded, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed, spontaneous, unforced, unstudied, candid, direct, frank, free, free-spoken, open, openhearted, plain, plainspoken, single-minded, straight, straightforward, unguarded, trustful, trusting, exploitable, gullible, susceptible, unwary
    opposite: affected, artful, artificial, assuming, dishonest, dissembling, dissimulating, fake, false, guileful, insincere, phony, pretentious
    near: critical, cynical, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, wary, cosmopolitan, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise, civilized, cultivated, cultured, polished, refined, crooked, deceitful, deceptive, devious, double-dealing, hypocritical, manipulative, two-faced, arch, calculating, canny, crafty, cunning, designing, foxy, knavish, scheming, sharp, shifty, shrewd, slick, slippery, sly, subtle, tricky, underhanded, wily, flattering, mealymouthed, smooth, sycophantic, unctuous, feigned, forced, strained

  8. relating to or characteristic of human beings

    "it's only natural to make mistakes—it's part of being human"

    similar: earthborn, human, mortal
    related: anthropoid, creatural, hominid, humanlike, humanoid
    opposite: nonhuman
    near: angelic, divine, godlike, preternatural, superhuman, supernatural, supernormal, immortal, omnipotent, omniscient, animal, beastly, bestial, brute, infrahuman, inhuman, robotic, subhuman

  9. born to a father and mother who are not married

    "had fathered an unknown number of natural children"

    similar: baseborn, illegitimate, misbegotten, spurious, supposititious, unfathered
    related: fatherless, motherless, nameless, adopted, orphaned
    opposite: legitimate

  10. having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature

    "his late grandfather was as kind and natural a man as one could ever hope to meet"

    similar: big, chivalrous, elevated, gallant, great, greathearted, high, high-minded, lofty, lordly, magnanimous, noble, sublime
    related: ennobled, exalted, glorified, heroic, honorable, valiant, venerable, worthy, knightly, princely, regal, inspiring, moving, numinous, uplifting, august, magnificent, majestic
    opposite: base, debased, degenerate, degraded, ignoble, low
    near: sordid, squalid, vile, wretched, abominable, contemptible, despicable, detestable, hateful, offensive, repulsive, ugly, vicious, dastardly, dirty, lousy, sorry, little, mean, narrow, small-minded, degrading, discreditable, humiliating, ignominious, coarse, crude, vulgar

  11. not civilized

    "a natural man, unacquainted with the blessings and burdens of society"

    similar: barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, heathen, heathenish, Neanderthal, rude, savage, uncivil, uncivilized, uncultivated, wild
    related: coarse, crude, primitive, rough, uncouth, uncultured
    opposite: civilized
    near: cultured, enlightened, humane, sophisticated, genteel, polished, polite, refined, urbane, well-bred, semicivilized

Natural (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in wonder, phenomenon

    similar: marvel, phenomenon, sensation, wonder, gem, jewel, treasure, coup, triumph, victory, blue chip, blue chipper, corker, crackerjack, dandy, jim-dandy, pip, prizewinner, blockbuster, hit, megahit, smash, success, supernova, winner
    opposite: bomb, bummer, bust, catastrophe, clinker, debacle, dud, failure, fiasco, flop, misfire, turkey, washout, disappointment, fizzle, lemon, loser

Related Entry: Natural childbirth (noun)

Natural childbirth is a different word from Natural. The synonyms below are for natural childbirth, not for natural.

  1. as in cesarean section

    similar: cesarean section, pregnancy, childbed, confinement, lying-in, birth pang, contraction, pains, accouchement, childbearing, childbirth, delivery, labor, parturition, travail

Related Entry: Natural childbirths (noun)

Natural childbirths is a different word from Natural. The synonyms below are for natural childbirths, not for natural.

  1. as in cesarean sections

    similar: cesarean sections, childbeds, confinements, lyings-in, pregnancies, birth pangs, contractions, pains, accouchements, childbearings, childbirths, deliveries, labors, parturitions, travails

Related Entry: Natural food (noun)

Natural food is a different word from Natural. The synonyms below are for natural food, not for natural.

  1. as in finger food

    similar: finger food, amuse-bouche, amuse-gueule, antipasto, app, appetizer, canapé, cocktail, hors d'oeuvre, munchies, starter, commissary, rations, supplies, aliment, nutriment, diet, nourishment, nurture, sustenance, mess, pap, ensilage, feed, fodder, forage, silage, slop, swill, feast, meal, refreshments, regale, repast, spread, board
    opposite: bane, poison, toxin, venom

Related Entry: Natural foods (noun)

Natural foods is a different word from Natural. The synonyms below are for natural foods, not for natural.

  1. as in finger foods

    similar: finger foods, amuse-bouches, amuse-gueules, antipasti, appetizers, apps, canapés, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, munchies, starters, commissaries, rations, supplies, aliments, nutriments, diets, nourishments, nurtures, sustenances, messes, paps, ensilages, feeds, fodders, forages, silages, slop, swills, feasts, meals, refreshments, regales, repasts, spreads, boards
    opposite: banes, poisons, toxins, venoms

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Natural

The most common words with a similar meaning to Natural:

lifelike, living, naturalistic, near, photo-realistic, realistic, three-dimensional, born, congenital, biological, birth, consanguineous, built-in, constitutional, constitutive, essential, hardwired, immanent, inborn, inbred, indigenous, ingrain, ingrained, inherent, innate, integral, intrinsic, native, crude, raw, rude, undressed, unprocessed, unrefined, untreated, uncultivated, untamed, virgin, wild, artless

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Natural

Words with the opposite meaning of Natural:

nonnatural, nonrealistic, unnatural, unrealistic, adopted, adoptive, nonbiological, adventitious, extraneous, extrinsic, dressed, processed, refined, treated, cultivated, tamed, affected, artful, artificial, assuming, dishonest, dissembling, dissimulating, fake, false, guileful, insincere, phony, pretentious, nonhuman

Related Words for Natural

alike, like, matching, similar, verisimilar, akin, analogous, approximate, comparable, resembling, accurate, close, faithful, compelling, convincing, expressive, graphic, gritty, vivid, chronic, confirmed, habitual, incorrigible, inveterate, proper, regular, unreconstructed, unregenerate, consummate, elemental

Near Antonyms of Natural

dissimilar, off, unalike, unlike, incomparable, unmatched, contrasted, contrasting, different, disparate, mock, sham, developed, trained, alien, foreign, illegitimate, accidental, coincidental, incidental, acquired, adscititious, superficial, surface, exterior, external, filtered, pure, purified, inhabited

Word Forms of Natural

Derived words: naturalness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Natural

Middle English, from Anglo-French naturel, from Latin naturalis of nature, from natura nature

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Natural

Words & Phrases Containing Natural

natural-born, natural bridge, natural childbirth, natural family planning, natural food, natural gas, natural gender, natural history

Frequently Asked Questions about Natural

What does "Natural" mean?

"Natural" means based on an inherent sense of right and wrong. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: based on an inherent sense of right and wrong. It has 12 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Natural"?

Other words for "Natural" include lifelike, living, naturalistic, near, photo-realistic, realistic, three-dimensional and born. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Natural" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Natural"?

There are 247 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Natural". Common alternatives include lifelike, living, naturalistic, near, photo-realistic, realistic, three-dimensional, born, congenital and biological.

What is the opposite of "Natural"?

Antonyms of "Natural" include nonnatural, nonrealistic, unnatural, unrealistic, adopted, adoptive, nonbiological and adventitious. Near antonyms include dissimilar, off, unalike and unlike.

How do you use "Natural" in a sentence?

Examples of "Natural" in a sentence: "the diorama featuring stuffed birds and plastic plants actually looked very natural"; "from his first visits to the wading pool, we could tell that our little boy loved water and was a natural swimmer"; "an adult adoptee who has decided to search for his natural parents".

Is "Natural" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Natural" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Natural" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Natural" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Natural"?

"Natural" is pronounced /ˈna-ch(ə-)rəl/ and divided into syllables as nat·u·ral.