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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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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

Examples of natural in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Still, when someone develops health problems after taking a new drug, their natural reaction is often to blame the medication—and to stop using it. Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024 Based in Secaucus, N.J., The Vitamin Shoppe sells nutritional solutions, including vitamins, minerals, specialty supplements, herbs, sports nutrition, homeopathic remedies, green living products, and natural beauty aids through proprietary brands and approximately 700 national brands. David Moin, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
The young actors, almost all newcomers, are naturals in a sure-footed movie that is set in the future but fully plugged into global political anxieties of the present. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2024 Some stars are naturals, while others struggle to adapt — like Sigourney Weaver. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for natural 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural
Adjective
  • The babies of people with chickenpox during pregnancy may develop congenital varicella, a syndrome that causes abnormal development of the brain, eyes, and skin.1 Shingles Varicella-zoster virus can remain dormant in your body for years after initial infection.
    Carrie Madormo, RN, Health, 3 Nov. 2024
  • Also, about 80% of those additional infant deaths could be attributed to congenital abnormalities.
    Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Once the spirits have settled into their family homes to live and share meals as honored guests, more living relatives travel from far and wide to bring gifts and pay their respects.
    Matt Ralphs, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2024
  • For one couple seeking more living space in Los Angeles, the question was whether or not to build an addition onto their bungalow or convert their two-car garage into an ADU.
    Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Releasing in theaters on November 8 and on Netflix on November 22, filmmaking is apparently an intrinsic gene within the DNA of the Washington family.
    Malik William, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Slowly but surely, companies are starting to see the intrinsic benefits of more authenticity and greater transparency.
    Drew Gerber, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The colors, font and typography were a crude approximation of the signs posted by the campaign advocating for the proposition’s passage.
    Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Married to Stanley, a man of carnal appetites and vulgar manners, Stella has embraced the crude pleasures of realism, while her freeloading sister still clings to tattered aristocratic illusions.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Lupita Nyong’o leads the movie’s voice cast, playing a robot named Roz, who gets marooned on an uninhabited island and soon develops a bond with an orphaned gosling.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 29 Sep. 2024
  • North Korea routinely test-launches missiles to drop in the sea or on an uninhabited island.
    Reuters, NBC News, 19 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • In a struggle with algorithmic machines to capture an audience’s attention, creators are pushed optimize the content to the detriment of genuine authenticity.
    Ruby Justice Thelot, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Through it all, Canals says both Brinson and Rivera, who share a genuine affection for each other, stayed completely present.
    Ronda Racha Penrice, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • These gases contain pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and unburned fuel, that are harmful to human health, as well as carbon dioxide, which warms Earth’s atmosphere.
    Michael Leamy, Discover Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024
  • That film’s probing examination of human reaction to a horrific act of violence is present in this study of an ordinary man with extraordinary stoicism and reserves of love.
    Richard Kuipers, Variety, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Officials in Lancaster, who have been reviewing the 2,500 ballots suspected of fraud have found that 60 percent were potentially illegitimate, Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Democrats are already working to steal the election from Donald Trump, and the results are going to be illegitimate.
    Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near natural

Cite this Entry

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

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