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 of naturalism from the Web
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But here, despite a vein of Ayckbourn-esque melancholy and a nod toward state-of-the-nation seriousness, Mr. Betts and the director, Stephen Darcy, keep surging past naturalism toward strident farce, then stumbling into tragedy.
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But the photographic quality of vedute obscures the fact that artists rarely aspired to #nofilter naturalism, instead embellishing their subjects for visual and political impact.
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The artist, who was born in Baton Rouge, La., and taught art in Chicago from 1965 to 2005, designed a decorative cycle with motifs ranging from modernist geometry to Egyptian hieroglyphs, from painterly naturalism to West African masks.
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There's a special kind of naturalism Donahoe is creating here.
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The Mystical Landscape from Monet to Kandinsky at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris Through June 25 In the late 19th century, as science and naturalism took over the culture, a group of artists chose to go in the opposite direction.
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But Meyerbeer may be just the composer for our moment, not just in his subject matter but also in his almost proto-postmodern resistance to the fully immersive naturalism that would become the operatic norm after Wagner.
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Each of these actors makes Coward’s language sound fresh and contemporary while understanding that the play has nothing to do with naturalism.
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Extreme naturalism: Don’t be afraid to add natural elements in your garden.
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.
First Known Use of naturalism
circa 1641
NATURALISM Defined for English Language Learners
naturalism
playDefinition of naturalism for English Language Learners
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: a style of art or literature that shows people and things as they actually are
Learn More about naturalism
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See words that rhyme with naturalism Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for naturalism Spanish Central: Translation of naturalism Nglish: Translation of naturalism for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about naturalism
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