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as in biologic
being such by blood and not by adoption or marriage an adult adoptee who has decided to search for his natural parents

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as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining natural salts are not edible until they are washed and processed

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as in uninhabited
existing without human habitation or cultivation photographs of animals in their natural habitat

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as in illegitimate
born to a father and mother who are not married had fathered an unknown number of natural children

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natural

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noun

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natural resources
geological resources
geologic resources
physical resources
native resources
environmental resources
natural disasters
earthly disasters
environmental disasters
ecological disasters
major disasters
unexpected disasters
a natural beauty
a genuine beauty
an authentic beauty
a real beauty
an unaltered beauty
an original beauty
natural products
organic products
holistic products
herbal products
pure products
homeopathic products
a natural law
an universal law
a physical law
a scientific law
a cosmic law
an innate law

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective natural differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of natural are normal, regular, and typical. While all these words mean "being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average," natural applies to what conforms to a thing's essential nature, function, or mode of being.

the natural love of a mother for her child

When is normal a more appropriate choice than natural?

Although the words normal and natural have much in common, normal implies lack of deviation from what has been discovered or established as the most usual or expected.

normal behavior for a two-year-old

When is it sensible to use regular instead of natural?

The words regular and natural can be used in similar contexts, but regular stresses conformity to a rule, standard, or pattern.

the club's regular monthly meeting

Where would typical be a reasonable alternative to natural?

In some situations, the words typical and natural are roughly equivalent. However, typical implies showing all important traits of a type, class, or group and may suggest lack of strong individuality.

a typical small town

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of natural
Adjective
The Jungle By Upton Sinclair As part of their advocacy for the natural, Lust and other irregular doctors also vehemently opposed vaccines. Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024 The branches look incredibly natural and lifelike with more than 4,000 branch tips. Molly Blanco, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
CPAs, who file tax returns, seem like a natural to call as the data reported for the CTA feels similar to the income tax filings CPAs routinely deal with. Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 The film’s early going leans heavily on humor and sweetness as Joe comes out of his shell to court the far more expressive Maizie, a choice that works rather well because Bautista is such a natural in this element. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for natural 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural
Adjective
  • Baby Kevin was born early, with a congenital heart defect.
    Nikki Battiste, CBS News, 14 Dec. 2024
  • The couple attended the Children’s Hospital Gala to show their support for the hospital and medical team that operated on their son, Billy, who was born with a congenital heart defect.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The remaining area can be used for storage or renovated into more living space.
    Karen A. Avitabile, Hartford Courant, 1 Dec. 2024
  • Punto Dos Studio, Andrés Villota A unique feature of the home's design is the integration of a living Pigüe tree, which passes through the structure itself.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • The online reaction felt uncomfortable to some bystanders given that we’re all supposed to care about human dignity — the idea that every single person has intrinsic and inalienable value.
    Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Gold Coins Gold coins combine collectability with the intrinsic value of gold.
    Jaime Catmull, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Given that Ontario is not a major producer of crude oil, Ford’s threat appeared to specifically apply to electricity the United States imports from Canada.
    Matt Egan, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Canada provides natural gas to the U.S. and roughly 20% of the crude oil used by its southern neighbor.
    Ahmad Mukhtar, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • In warmer months, rent a boat or jet ski and head to Goat Island to congregate with other boaters who love to swim and relax around the tiny, uninhabited island.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2024
  • From Rabat to uninhabited Pacific islands, O'Connor's experiences have shaped what's in the bag and the ethos behind it.
    Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The information the source supplies must be newsworthy and give readers genuine insight.
    Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Once in possession of the session cookie, the attacker can then, effectively, go back at any time and will be treated as a genuine user of your account as the cookie shows that session as, yep, authenticated.
    Davey Winder, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The article mulled the broader human implications of Molchanov’s remarkable breath-holding dives, as well as captured some of the communal bonhomie of Molchanov’s fellow divers.
    Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Of note, this will also be the first human spaceflight from SLC-40 as KSC’s pad will be in preparation for the Europa Clipper launch in October.
    Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The center pointed out that the website shown in the viral video is illegitimate and not run by the hotel in question.
    Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
  • San Diego County has made fighting the illegitimate businesses a priority and effectively eliminated them, The Times reported in June.
    Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near natural

Cite this Entry

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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