naturalistic

adjective

nat·​u·​ral·​is·​tic ˌna-ch(ə-)rə-ˈli-stik 

variants or less commonly naturalist

ˈna-ch(ə-)rə-list 

: of, characterized by, or according with naturalism

naturalistically

ˌna-ch(ə-)rə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of naturalistic

• realistic
• living
• natural
• lifelike
• three-dimensional

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

The garden, designed by Harry Holding and Alex Michaelis, combines vibrant planting with a loose, naturalistic layout designed to encourage visitors to wander, pause and reflect. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Largely told in a dour naturalistic visual language, Barnard switches things up for one a classically beautiful image of lights shimmering on water. —Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 20 May 2026

They can be used to soften hard edges and smooth transitions in more naturalistic plantings, or to reinforce the geometry of formal designs. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 May 2026

Gardeners are shifting to native, naturalistic designs using pollinator- and pet-friendly plants. —Cori Sears, The Spruce, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for naturalistic

• anachronistic
• animalistic
• antagonistic
• antiphlogistic
• behavioristic
• cannibalistic
• capitalistic
• characteristic
• collectivistic
• deterministic
• ethnolinguistic
• expressionistic