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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

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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

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
Expect seasonal, ecologically sustainable base ingredients that all influence natural sweetness. Melinda Newman, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025 Designing enzymes with computers The first attempts to computationally design enzymes still largely relied on natural enzymes as a starting point, focusing on placing enzyme active sites into natural proteins. Sam Pellock, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2025
Noun
Many naturals use pre-poo treatments before shampooing to help retain moisture. Annie Blay, Allure, 23 Dec. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for natural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural
Adjective
  • Smith, 101, died Feb. 11 of congenital heart failure at her Lincoln Park home, said her daughter, Julia.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Theme Director of Stem Cell Medicine Professor Enzo Porrello discusses how stem cells could be key in treating heart disease in children and what could cause congenital heart disease.
    Dr. Marc Siegel Fox News, Fox News, 24 Dec. 2024
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
  • Generally, a lower P/E ratio suggests a more attractive investment opportunity, which may indicate that a stock is trading below its intrinsic value.
    Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Meme coins have no intrinsic value and fluctuate their value based on speculation in the market.
    Gabe Kaminsky, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • While crude oil was the largest import for Alabama in 2023, automobile and automobile parts followed right behind.
    Jennifer Lindahl, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
  • The Midstream segment provides crude oil and refined petroleum product transportation, terminaling and processing services, as well as natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) transportation, storage, fractionation, gathering, processing and marketing service.
    Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Evidently the ghost town of Albemarle was not quite uninhabited.
    Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
  • And the current uncertainty over its future orbit extends to its possible impact locations, which include a mix of uninhabited, sparsely populated and densely populated areas: the eastern Pacific Ocean, northern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, parts of Africa, the Arabian Sea and South Asia.
    Robin George Andrews, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The film, which tells the true story of an all-Black, all-female battalion in WWII, also saw Kerry Washington take home the Best Actress award in a moment of genuine shock and gratitude.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 23 Feb. 2025
  • His deep passion for photography and his genuine connection with his subjects resulted in an intimate body of work, setting him apart in the world of entertainment photojournalism.
    PhotoVogue, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The $488 million mission is designed to map the entire sky in 3D, in wavelengths invisible to the human eye.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The Buddhist frescoes represent human archetypes, similar to Greek myths in classical Western culture.
    Jim Halterman, IndieWire, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Meszaros is widely regarded by Hungarians as the purse of Orban: someone who is not a real owner but who simply manages the illegitimate wealth of his boss.
    BÁLINT MADLOVICS, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Moscow has long sought to discredit the Ukrainian government by claiming that Zelensky is an illegitimate president, although martial law prohibits elections during wartime for safety reasons.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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