naturalism
noun
nat·u·ral·ism
ˈna-ch(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm 
1
: action, inclination, or thought based only on natural desires and instincts
2
: a theory denying that an event or object has a supernatural significance
specifically
: the doctrine that scientific laws are adequate to account for all phenomena
3
: realism in art or literature
specifically
: a theory or practice in literature emphasizing scientific observation of life without idealization and often including elements of determinism
Synonyms
Examples of naturalism in a Sentence
a major exponent of naturalism, Theodore Dreiser depicted life's harsh realities unflinchingly and without moral judgment
Recent Examples on the Web
The transition from animation to live action wasn’t all that steep because DeBlois leaned into naturalism with the help of Deakins on the trilogy.
—
Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
Yet Kingsley frequently expressed his distaste for rigid scientific naturalism and its rejection of all intuition and openness to the unknown.
—Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 29 Jan. 2025
On the one hand, beset by violence perpetrated by guerrillas, the state, sicarios, drug traffickers and the like, the country’s filmmakers have turned to a gritty, oft-bleak naturalism where death guides stories.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
The sort of revelatory artifice is exactly what is so often missing from American movies, which, despite ostensible naturalism, lack the feeling of authentic contact with reality—especially of inner realities—which is so abundant in Gómez’s work.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
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Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
Yet Kingsley frequently expressed his distaste for rigid scientific naturalism and its rejection of all intuition and openness to the unknown.
—Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 29 Jan. 2025
On the one hand, beset by violence perpetrated by guerrillas, the state, sicarios, drug traffickers and the like, the country’s filmmakers have turned to a gritty, oft-bleak naturalism where death guides stories.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
The sort of revelatory artifice is exactly what is so often missing from American movies, which, despite ostensible naturalism, lack the feeling of authentic contact with reality—especially of inner realities—which is so abundant in Gómez’s work.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for naturalism
Dictionary Entries Near naturalism
Cite this Entry
“Naturalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalism. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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