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as in biologic
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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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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as in uninhabited
existing without human habitation or cultivation photographs of animals in their natural habitat

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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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natural

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noun

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natural resources
geological resources
geologic resources
physical resources
native resources
environmental resources
natural disasters
earthly disasters
environmental disasters
ecological disasters
major disasters
unexpected disasters
a natural beauty
a genuine beauty
an authentic beauty
a real beauty
an unaltered beauty
an original beauty
natural products
organic products
holistic products
herbal products
pure products
homeopathic products
a natural law
an universal law
a physical law
a scientific law
a cosmic law
an innate law

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective natural differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of natural are normal, regular, and typical. While all these words mean "being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average," natural applies to what conforms to a thing's essential nature, function, or mode of being.

the natural love of a mother for her child

When is normal a more appropriate choice than natural?

Although the words normal and natural have much in common, normal implies lack of deviation from what has been discovered or established as the most usual or expected.

normal behavior for a two-year-old

When is it sensible to use regular instead of natural?

The words regular and natural can be used in similar contexts, but regular stresses conformity to a rule, standard, or pattern.

the club's regular monthly meeting

Where would typical be a reasonable alternative to natural?

In some situations, the words typical and natural are roughly equivalent. However, typical implies showing all important traits of a type, class, or group and may suggest lack of strong individuality.

a typical small town

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of natural
Adjective
Groom plants to regain their natural shape after spring growth. 25. Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2025 His size is compelling, and perhaps some of that is natural. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
The fit was seen as a natural: UConn is expanding it regional campus presence in downtown Hartford, including the addition of student housing. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025 Will Smith, who starred in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which Jones executive produced, would have been a natural for the Jones tribute, but he was banned from all Academy Award events for 10 years in 2023 following his misbehavior on that year’s telecast. Paul Grein, Billboard, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for natural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural
Adjective
  • There has also been one case of congenital measles — a newborn who contracted the virus from their mother.
    Paula Cohen, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The form of deafness treated affects 1 percent to 8 percent of deaf people globally, but the treatment could be adjusted to address other congenital forms.
    Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • With Asian elephants—its closest living relatives—facing a 22-month pregnancy and a decade-long wait for maturity, researchers needed a faster way to test their genetic edits.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Six more living hostages returned this past Saturday, but with further outrages by Hamas.
    The Editors, National Review, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • For the Reposado expression, the tequila is then aged in American white oak barrels, a process that adds structure and refinement without overwhelming the agave's intrinsic character.
    Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • With more complete data, statisticians could then estimate the intrinsic value of activities through peoples’ stated and revealed preferences and create a framework for measuring consumption based on how people use their time rather than on material spending.
    Brian Deese, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Gas prices, however, are now generally higher than when Trump took office on January 20, when the national average was $3.125, according to AAA data—despite the price of crude oil plunging after his tariff announcements.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
  • After water, in some fields the engineers turn to injecting steam, which further softens up stubborn crude oil.
    Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • President Trump, as part of his expansive package of new tariffs, levied taxes on a number of uninhabited or sparsely populated islands that have little-to-no exports.
    Filip Timotija, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025
  • According to a tariffs list shared by the White House on X, the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands — an external territory of Australia — are not exempt from the 10% tariff on goods.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Here's what to know about haints, including a compilation of viewers' genuine reactions to Coogler's subtle reference.
    Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • That genuine bond off-screen has helped bring the series to life in a way that connects with viewers.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But human activity is responsible for about 90% of all wildfires in the nation.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Addressing these vulnerabilities requires a thoughtful, systematic approach that leverages both technological solutions and human expertise.
    Andres Zunino, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump himself has suggested moral equivalence between the two sides, claiming Ukraine was at fault for provoking the war, that President Zelensky was illegitimate and that the U.S. should recognize Russia’s annexations of Ukrainian territory.
    Eric Green, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
  • And use the company’s publicly available number, not the one the caller provides, which is probably illegitimate.
    LEW SICHELMAN, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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