naturalistic

adjective

nat·​u·​ral·​is·​tic ˌna-ch(ə-)rə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce naturalistic (audio)
variants or less commonly naturalist
: of, characterized by, or according with naturalism
naturalistically adverb

Examples of naturalistic in a Sentence

The zoo strives to create naturalistic settings for the animals. the movie's volcanic eruption is so naturalistic that it's easy to forget that it all came out of a computer
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What starts off as a staid and naturalistic drama, about a man experiencing a midlife crisis following the death of his mother, veers into Buñuel or De Palma territory in the latter half. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025 This is the only film on this list that’s not available in the U.S. Heli [2013] There’s no sugarcoating that this naturalistic drama features a graphic sequence of harrowing violence that may prove too difficult for some audiences to stomach. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025 Its prose is tranquil, pellucid, and naturalistic, favoring dialogue over introspection or philosophy. Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025 That sparked a battle with animal welfare advocates, including the Humane Society of the United States, which argued that these animals deserved to live out the rest of their lives in a more naturalistic setting. Bydavid Grimm, science.org, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for naturalistic 

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of naturalistic was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near naturalistic

Cite this Entry

“Naturalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalistic. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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