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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

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For
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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
The property’s 88 suites and 21 residences are in natural materials in shades of beige and brown. Devorah Lev-Tov, AFAR Media, 31 Jan. 2025 Both have been long-standing states on these lists that have some of the world's most desirable properties for the proximity to beaches and other natural and man-made attractions. Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
The lazy naturals are folks who don’t want to compromise the integrity of their curls but can’t stand the thought of long washdays and laborious maintenance. Annie Blay, Allure, 23 Dec. 2024 Still, McDonald, winner of six Tony Awards, is not, in a sense, a natural for the part of Rose, a role usually played by a star riding her larger-than-life charisma and blistering belt to a standing ovation. Adam Moss, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for natural 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural
Adjective
  • Development of a new antibody drug to treat congenital tooth agenesis Oral Health.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025
  • But the ashes of her daughter, Allison, who died four years ago at age 20 of congenital heart failure, were still there.
    Isabelle Taft, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • As scientists gather more examples, the pair’s private hand-on-eye code remains a poignant reminder of how similar chimpanzees are to their closest living relatives.
    Brandon Keim, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Exiting the Oval Office brings ex-presidents into one of the world’s most exclusive clubs, with there being just four other living ex-presidents left after former President Jimmy Carter died late last year.
    Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • These parents focused on fostering intrinsic motivation, helping their child take pride in their own achievements.
    Reem Raouda, Contributor, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025
  • Three days before his presidential inauguration, Donald Trump launched a meme coin, a type of cryptocurrency whose value is buoyed by social media and internet culture, rather than any sort of functionality or intrinsic value.
    Maximilian Brichta, The Conversation, 30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Musk, the world’s richest man, responded with a crude insult.
    Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Chinese officials said starting Feb. 10, the country would hit the U.S. with retaliatory tariffs of 15% on coal and 10% on crude oil, farm equipment and some vehicles.
    Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • There were no injuries in the incident near Fronton Island, an uninhabited island in the Rio Grande in Starr County, Texas, according to reports.
    Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
  • These uninhabited islands teem with such biodiversity that they are included in the region's UNESCO World Heritage designation.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Velcro dogs simply enjoy staying close, while dogs with separation anxiety experience genuine panic when left alone.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
  • The industry’s obsession with olfactory hierarchies of terpenes and flavors has supplanted genuine curiosity about the science of cannabis.
    Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Impressive human developments like the Three Gorges Dam in China have the potential to slow the planet’s rotation, and even the Earth’s magnetic poles are shifting.
    Chris Boudreau, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Sources have also told The Times the blaze appears to have human origins.
    Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The coins are marked with faces of nine Roman emperors who reigned during the fourth and fifth centuries—including Eugenius, an illegitimate usurper who ruled the Western Roman Empire for just two years.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
  • That period, in 2017, was defined by public demonstrations of resistance, a flurry of new liberal groups and a palpable anger over an election outcome many in the party saw as illegitimate.
    Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near natural

Cite this Entry

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

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