NATURAL Synonyms: 440 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

natural 1 of 2

adjective

ˈna-ch(ə-)rəl

Definition of natural

as in realistic

closely resembling the object imitated the diorama featuring stuffed birds and plastic plants actually looked very natural

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in born

being such from birth or by nature from his first visits to the wading pool, we could tell that our little boy loved water and was a natural swimmer

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as in biological

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 intrinsic

being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing her natural talent for music first became apparent when, unbidden, she started banging on a toy piano

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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 genuine

free from any intent to deceive or impress others she was completely natural in expressing her feelings for him, unafraid of how they would be received

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as in human

relating to or characteristic of human beings it's only natural to make mistakes—it's part of being human

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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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legitimate

as in great

having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature his late grandfather was as kind and natural a man as one could ever hope to meet

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as in barbarian

not civilized a natural man, unacquainted with the blessings and burdens of society

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natural

2 of 2

noun

as in phenomenon

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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

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed and tested uranium-absorbing fibers in natural seawater, including experiments at Washington’s Sequim Bay. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026 Rather than directly monetizing the platform, Nvidia can deepen developer loyalty, make its hardware and software a natural choice for deploying AI models, and keep a strategic asset out of competitors' hands. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026

Noun

This SheaMoisture bestseller is an oldie but goodie, and has historically been a popular pick for beginner naturals (speaking from experience). — Eden Stuart, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026 In the bawdy comedic scene, Tommy wakes up au natural in his hotel bed after an amorous evening with his wife, Angela Norris (Ali Larter), to find a shocked housekeeper in the hotel room. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for natural

Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural

Adjective

There was a lot of work on the medical cases to make the investigations complex and realistic, but there was also an entry point built around a strong, funny, unpleasant character, completely at odds with her return to her roots.

— Roberto Prieto, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
To be a realistic contender, the defense has to be much better.

— Zak Keefer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of realistic

Adjective

This can lead to numerous health problems, including low blood sugar, fragile bones, traumatic injuries, congenital heart, airway and eye problems and even hydrocephalus, where excess fluid puts pressure on their brain.

— Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Proceeds from the raffle will go to Heart Heroes, a nonprofit that supports children and families affected by congenital heart disease, and the Florida chapter of the Human Trafficking Foundation.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of congenital

Adjective

Researchers have published findings that reveal key biological insights into profound autism and offer new targets for drug development.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
Other biological rhythms, such as movement or breathing, could also help set the pace of animal communication—leaving open how vastly different species arrive at similar tempos.

— Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of biological

Adjective

Even without the Spectre, these drives are clearly powerful grin generators that amp up the camaraderie already intrinsic to car culture—doing so one scenic and amenity-laden leg at a time.

— Iain Macauley, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026
The Financial Times has argued that the astronomical prices of top modernist paintings are less about intrinsic artistic value than wealth, scarcity, and the concentration of buying power among billionaires.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of intrinsic

Adjective

Meanwhile, this is the freshest old man Aaron Rodgers will be all season, and the home crowd will be a factor in native son Mike McCarthy’s debut.

— Vic Tafur, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
This parallel processing enables what XGIMI describes as native 4K at 120 Hz, with variable refresh, auto low latency (ALLM), and Dolby Vision Gaming added in to boot.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of native

Adjective

Biscayne 21, now an uninhabited shell, sits on a bayfront slice of Edgewater, a high-end residential neighborhood just north of downtown Miami.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
The phone was deliberately dropped over uninhabited terrain to reduce any risk to people on the ground.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of uninhabited

Adjective

Mercury opposes dreamy Neptune, blurring the line between genuine exhaustion and distraction.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2026
One that felt less like a pairing of circumstances and more like a genuine budding partnership, a future that is now uncertain under incoming owner Stan Kroenke.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of genuine

Adjective

Developed by a team from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the robot is designed to operate in complex crop environments without continuous human control.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Three hundred years ago, the satirist warned of a world in which reading and writing are replaced by the flashy simulation of human knowledge.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of human

Cite this Entry

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“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of natural

adjective

noun

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