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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

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
Now weeks removed, an unconventional applicant looks like a natural in the role. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2025 The brand was founded by Antony Buck and Robert Calcraft and positioned itself in the naturals category, which by the time of its acquisition had become among the fastest-growing skin care segments globally. Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 May 2025
Noun
The materials are natural and warm, bathed in ample daylight from extensive windows on two sides of each classroom that provide views of the landscape. Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025 Her natural and melodious style, so swift and unpretentious, bears death and danger on its wings. Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for natural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural
Adjective
  • These regions make retiring in Italy a realistic, rewarding dream.
    Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Rodrigo Muniz is the other link which has been hanging over the club for two months with no realistic signs of completion at time of writing.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Shaw has said he was reborn after the shooting and years later would become a born-again Christian.
    Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle, 9 June 2019
  • In his mid-40s, Mr. Phillips had quietly become a born-again Christian after attending a Billy Graham rally.
    James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 18 Jan. 2019
Adjective
  • The theory is that these things aren’t an intrinsic part of the business’s operations.
    John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Keynes’s prediction failed to come to pass, thanks to consumers’ insatiable appetite for stuff, the intrinsic satisfaction of work, and the uneven distributional consequences of technological progress.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The crude oil leak from a train that derailed in Dodge County on Aug. 15 has been contained, officials said.
    David Clarey, jsonline.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • The other measures the company is proposing include improvements to its fluidized catalytic-cracking units, which help turn crude oil into gasoline, and installing carbon monoxide analyzers to ensure equipment is running efficiently.
    Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Their uninhabited island, full of wild animals, insects, a donkey and other distractions, is called Floreana and is located in the Galapagos Islands.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The asylum closed in 1968, and the island has been uninhabited ever since.
    Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • By avoiding these five common pitfalls, businesses can transform their customer data from a costly liability into a genuine competitive advantage that drives measurable growth and innovation.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • That’s not the start of a bad joke, but a genuine potential answer to this question.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • That's in part because warming waters and human activity have helped boost jellyfish populations.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Wildlife agencies said the wolf was a threat to health and human safety and was shot based on federal guidelines.
    John Leos, AZCentral.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The deliberate flouting of the ban was part of a coordinated strategy to challenge what supporters view as an illegitimate restriction on free speech.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin claims Zelenskyy is illegitimate and has called for new elections in Ukraine.
    Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.

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