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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
In 2024, Aaron Gates proved to be a natural for the position in his second season and eventually moved into the starting role past Denson. Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025 The city coordinated with owners of the Baker Prairie Natural Area and the Martha Milburn Bird Sanctuary early in the planning and design process to minimize the impacts to those naturals areas and to improve access to them, the release states. arkansasonline.com, 3 July 2025
Noun
The Atacameño, of which there are at least a dozen distinct groups, have managerial rights to the most iconic natural attractions, including the Salar. Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025 Naveena Denim Mills is pushing color innovation forward with overdyes and natural hues. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for natural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural
Adjective
  • The last team in the division with a realistic-ish shot to make the playoffs is Dallas.
    Austin Mock, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Attackers often use voice-phishing calls or realistic fake apps to manipulate Salesforce administrators into installing malicious software.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 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
  • These children are more likely to develop a strong intrinsic locus of control, which leaves them less vulnerable to anxiety and depression later in life.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement No—provided that the money is not the point, provided that what matters to one’s work as a philosopher is intrinsic, not instrumental.
    Belinda Luscombe, Time, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The plants in the kingdom were designed to convert crude oil directly into chemical products.
    Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Yet for every tonne of biodiesel produced, over 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of crude glycerol is generated.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Vaindloo -- Estonia's most northernmost point -- has an area of just 15 acres, but the uninhabited island sits at a strategic choke point.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The uninhabited islets became a focal point of tensions between China and Japan after Tokyo nationalized the chain in 2012.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Investors and regulators should adopt transparent, comparable metrics so capital rewards genuine impact, not greenwash.
    Olivier Wenden, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
  • There has never been a genuine internal reckoning with Palestinian political failures.
    Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Now, many employers are looking to harness the power of AI—initially for mundane and repetitive tasks and eventually for more complicated jobs—to reduce the need to maintain the same level of human staffers on their payrolls.
    Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • There, the horror is the patriarchy and the human obsession with looking to the past for meaning.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Also endangering the family name and business is a crooked deal made by Byron Hedges (Jack Gleeson), an illegitimate cousin helping Guinness expand into America, that promises 15% of all American profits to the Fenian Brotherhood.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The play’s serious depiction of class politics and illegitimate birth were considered shocking by contemporary audiences.
    Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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