naturalism

nat·u·ral·ism | \ ˈna-chə-rə-ˌli-zəm

How to pronounce naturalism (audio)

, ˈnach-rə- \

Definition of naturalism

1 : action, inclination, or thought based only on natural desires and instincts

2 : a theory denying that an event or object has a supernatural significance specifically : the doctrine that scientific laws are adequate to account for all phenomena

3 : realism in art or literature specifically : a theory or practice in literature emphasizing scientific observation of life without idealization and often including elements of determinism

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Examples of naturalism in a Sentence

a major exponent of naturalism, Theodore Dreiser depicted life's harsh realities unflinchingly and without moral judgment

Recent Examples on the Web The real source of unease with The Crown comes from the dissonance between the high naturalism of the program’s costumes, staging, and set design and the liberties taken with its plotlines. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, "The Crown’s Majestic Untruths," 5 Dec. 2020 The script — by Theodore B. Bressman, David Branson Smith and Winkler — never spoon-feeds emotion or information, letting naturalism rule. — Mark Kennedy, chicagotribune.com, "‘Jungleland’ review: Treading old paths but boxing road trip still hits hard," 4 Nov. 2020 The script — by Theodore B. Bressman, David Branson Smith and Winkler — never spoon-feeds emotion or information, letting naturalism rule. — Mark Kennedy, chicagotribune.com, "‘Jungleland’ review: Treading old paths but boxing road trip still hits hard," 4 Nov. 2020 Austin grounds every scene with the naturalism of his acting. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Dash & Lily stars exchanged a notebook just like their characters to get to know each other," 10 Nov. 2020 The script – by Theodore B. Bressman, David Branson Smith and Winkler – never spoon-feeds emotion or information and instead lets naturalism rule. — Mark Kennedy, Detroit Free Press, "‘Jungleland’ treads old paths but hits hard," 6 Nov. 2020 The script — by Theodore B. Bressman, David Branson Smith and Winkler — never spoon-feeds emotion or information, letting naturalism rule. — Mark Kennedy, chicagotribune.com, "‘Jungleland’ review: Treading old paths but boxing road trip still hits hard," 4 Nov. 2020 The script — by Theodore B. Bressman, David Branson Smith and Winkler — never spoon-feeds emotion or information, letting naturalism rule. — Mark Kennedy, chicagotribune.com, "‘Jungleland’ review: Treading old paths but boxing road trip still hits hard," 4 Nov. 2020 Combining tenebrism with real-life models, heightened naturalism and tight, tumultuous spaces, Caravaggio brought pictorial storytelling to an unprecedented pitch of intensity. — Washington Post, "Manfredi’s painting of Cupid being beaten invites a modern interpretation," 4 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'naturalism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near naturalism

natural history

naturalistic fallacy

Statistics for naturalism

Last Updated

13 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Naturalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalism. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.

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