nonnatural
adjective
non·nat·u·ral
ˌnän-ˈna-chə-rəl 
-ˈnach-rəl
: not natural
a nonnatural way of viewing things
Although these anomalous events are beyond nature, in one sense, proponents of them seek to offer some kind of empirical evidence to support their hypotheses that there are nonnatural, nonmaterial, or spiritual processes at work in the universe.—
Paul Kurtz
Paul KurtzThree years from now, gunfire may surpass cars to become the leading cause of nonnatural death in the United States.—Newsweek
Newsweek
Examples of nonnatural in a Sentence
pure vanilla extract that was made without any nonnatural ingredients
Recent Examples on the Web
Much of synthetic biology involves genetic engineering to introduce networks of genes that give cells new functions, such as manufacturing enzymes to make a nonnatural molecule.
—Philip Ball, Scientific American, 18 Apr. 2023
The latter discipline has racked up impressive achievements in retooling cells for nonnatural tasks—for example, programming bacteria to glow in the presence of pollutants and other chemicals.
—Philip Ball, Scientific American, 18 Apr. 2023
Although some wildfires in California are ignited by lightning, a vast majority have nonnatural causes — sparks from electrical equipment, the heat of a lawn mower engine or, in the case of one of the state’s largest fires, a man hammering a stake into the ground.
—New York Times, 8 Oct. 2021
The increase in mortality has been especially stark among working-age males, with increases in death rates from alcohol, violence, and other nonnatural causes.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2023
Purified, nonnatural diets such as AIN-93, which contain refined, easy-to-digest ingredients, can lead to various abnormalities in lab mice that could affect experimental results, including a buildup of fat, a loss of normal intestinal bacteria, and a reduction in the size of the intestines.
—Mennatella Ibrahim, Science | AAAS, 17 June 2021
After 26 days in the calm of the canyon walls, without the noise of cars or almost any nonnatural noise, helicopters began to appear overhead, landing on a pad just above the river, where tourists sat at tables with umbrellas for the quick sightseeing trip advertised on the Vegas Strip.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 30 June 2020
In several landscapes, including Lundbye’s, a distinctive nonnatural element recurs: a prehistoric stone structure of upright boulders with a capstone known as a dolmen.
—Holland Cotter, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2023
In the Bahamas, 27 U.S. citizens have died from nonnatural causes, including drownings, vehicle accidents and homicide, from January 2018 to June 2021, according to the most recent available State Department data.
—Omar Abdel-Baqui, WSJ, 9 May 2022
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Philip Ball, Scientific American, 18 Apr. 2023
The latter discipline has racked up impressive achievements in retooling cells for nonnatural tasks—for example, programming bacteria to glow in the presence of pollutants and other chemicals.
—Philip Ball, Scientific American, 18 Apr. 2023
Although some wildfires in California are ignited by lightning, a vast majority have nonnatural causes — sparks from electrical equipment, the heat of a lawn mower engine or, in the case of one of the state’s largest fires, a man hammering a stake into the ground.
—New York Times, 8 Oct. 2021
The increase in mortality has been especially stark among working-age males, with increases in death rates from alcohol, violence, and other nonnatural causes.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2023
Purified, nonnatural diets such as AIN-93, which contain refined, easy-to-digest ingredients, can lead to various abnormalities in lab mice that could affect experimental results, including a buildup of fat, a loss of normal intestinal bacteria, and a reduction in the size of the intestines.
—Mennatella Ibrahim, Science | AAAS, 17 June 2021
After 26 days in the calm of the canyon walls, without the noise of cars or almost any nonnatural noise, helicopters began to appear overhead, landing on a pad just above the river, where tourists sat at tables with umbrellas for the quick sightseeing trip advertised on the Vegas Strip.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 30 June 2020
In several landscapes, including Lundbye’s, a distinctive nonnatural element recurs: a prehistoric stone structure of upright boulders with a capstone known as a dolmen.
—Holland Cotter, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2023
In the Bahamas, 27 U.S. citizens have died from nonnatural causes, including drownings, vehicle accidents and homicide, from January 2018 to June 2021, according to the most recent available State Department data.
—Omar Abdel-Baqui, WSJ, 9 May 2022
Dictionary Entries Near nonnatural
Cite this Entry
“Nonnatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonnatural. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share