1
as in realistic
closely resembling the object imitated
the diorama featuring stuffed birds and plastic plants actually looked very natural
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in born
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
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3
as in biological
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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4
as in intrinsic
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
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5
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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6
as in uninhabited
existing without human habitation or cultivation
photographs of animals in their natural habitat
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7
as in genuine
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
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8
as in human
relating to or characteristic of human beings
it's only natural to make mistakes—it's part of being human
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9
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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10
as in great
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
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11
as in barbarian
not civilized
a natural man, unacquainted with the blessings and burdens of society
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as in phenomenon
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of natural
Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
This is a natural outgrowth of Black Bear’s business.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Dennis McNally, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
In 2024, Aaron Gates proved to be a natural for the position in his second season and eventually moved into the starting role past Denson.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for natural
Adjective
Thanking guests for coming, wishing them a safe journey home, or announcing a final toast can encourage a natural exit.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
This is a natural outgrowth of Black Bear’s business.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
Although Michael Bowen was perhaps the first to talk it up, the notion of a large celebration was a complete natural for a neighborhood that was itself an ongoing celebration.
—Dennis McNally, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
In 2024, Aaron Gates proved to be a natural for the position in his second season and eventually moved into the starting role past Denson.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for natural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural
Adjective
-
In 2024, New York state banned realistic school lockdown drills, barring the use of props, actors, or simulations.—
Alana Semuels,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The common ingredients are incredible storytellers who are excited about trying to make a series that feels authentic and realistic, and maybe feels familiar, but in a way that also feels elevated and sophisticated.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Shaw has said he was reborn after the shooting and years later would become a born-again Christian.—
Jordan Blum,
Houston Chronicle,
9 June 2019
-
In his mid-40s, Mr. Phillips had quietly become a born-again Christian after attending a Billy Graham rally.—
James R. Hagerty,
WSJ,
18 Jan. 2019
Adjective
-
Then there's the homeostatic sleep drive, which is the other major biological mechanism that regulates sleep.—
NPR,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Optimizing sleep, exercise, diet, and social connectivity all have biological underpinnings, and these interventions are good for every age.—
Dominique Mosbergen,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And garnering this smallish corner of the market is intrinsic to the brand’s identity.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
-
By comparing a Cepheid’s intrinsic luminosity with how bright the star appears in our sky, its distance can then be calculated.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Big Oil leaders Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Shell continue to hike their crude oil production volumes from West Texas’s Permian Basin to the Gulf of Mexico to deepwater Guyana despite concerns of a rising global oil glut as OPEC nations keep exporting more barrels each month.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Burke gave the only 9 on a panel full of 10s, prompting the crude call out.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Panic at being lost … The house looked uninhabited.—
Joel M. Vance,
Outdoor Life,
29 Oct. 2025
-
A little over a century later, reaching the world’s only uninhabited continent is a decidedly more glamorous affair.—
Brad Japhe,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Town & Country takes its characters and their struggles at face value and, despite some gentle needling, celebrates their genuine camaraderie and familial commitment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
According to the filmmakers, the character’s journey toward genuine courage forms the emotional core of the story.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Apart from the moral morass and human cost of America’s foreign military misadventures, there is the lasting economic damage of the wars of which Cheney was such an avid advocate.—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Sam Altman, of OpenAI, has claimed that generative AI could bring about the end of human civilization, and that AI poses a risk of extinction on a par with nuclear warfare and global pandemics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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