naturalistic
adjective
nat·u·ral·is·tic
ˌna-ch(ə-)rə-ˈli-stik 
variants
or less commonly naturalist
: of, characterized by, or according with naturalism
Synonyms
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
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 
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.
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
Dictionary Entries Near naturalistic
Cite this Entry
“Naturalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalistic. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share