natural language

noun

plural natural languages
1
: a language (such as English, Spanish, or Samoan) that is the native speech of a people
In its pure meaning, a natural language is a spoken language, such as English or German.Robert A. Edmunds
In a natural language like English or French, asserting some proposition puts you at risk of being right or wrong.Jared Woodard
2
: the language of ordinary speaking and writing
often used before another noun
This framework will enable developers to integrate A.I. models into their apps, facilitating capabilities such as image generation, text creation and natural language search.Victor Dey
… uses artificial intelligence to understand and respond to natural language queries.Isaiah Murtaugh

Word History

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of natural language was in 1570

Cite this Entry

“Natural language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20language. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Entry added
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