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Synonym Chooser

How is the word unnatural distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words anomalous and irregular are common synonyms of unnatural. While all three words mean "not conforming to rule, law, or custom," unnatural suggests what is contrary to nature or to principles or standards felt to be essential to the well-being of civilized society.

prisoners treated with unnatural cruelty

When could anomalous be used to replace unnatural?

The meanings of anomalous and unnatural largely overlap; however, anomalous implies not conforming to what might be expected because of the class or type to which it belongs or the laws that govern its existence.

her drive made her an anomalous figure in a sleepy organization

When is irregular a more appropriate choice than unnatural?

The words irregular and unnatural are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, irregular implies not conforming to a law or regulation imposed for the sake of uniformity in method, practice, or conduct.

concerned about his irregular behavior

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 unnatural Movies have long cherished the contrast between a ballerina’s delicacy and lithe visuals with the gritty determination required to leap, dance and twirl in the highly unnatural way that is dancing on your toes. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 31 May 2025 Your concerns are valid: The eyes are the most delicate and expressive features on the face, and poor outcomes can lead to unnatural shape, drooping lids, asymmetry or problems with vision if the surgery is done improperly. Carlos Wolf, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025 But an elephant behavior expert from Cornell University told the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project that the show forces the animals to participate in unnatural behaviors, the group said. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 22 May 2025 And the body's first reaction to any unnatural cell death is to start a defense mechanism. Kristen Jordan Shamus, USA Today, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for unnatural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnatural
Adjective
  • Mice studies suggest that activating these receptors may cut off oxygen supply to the retina, promoting the abnormal blood vessel growth that leads to nAMD.
    Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 20 June 2025
  • Alzheimer’s Disease is characterized by the presence of beta-amyloid, an abnormal substance which form sticky plaques on the brain which may result in death of brain cells.
    Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • The earliest use cases have shown up where human labor is most strained and speed is a competitive edge, support desks, sales pipelines, email inboxes and even the marketing office where agentic marketplaces like Enso offer an entire team’s worth of agentic replacements.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • The All-Star pitcher, who’s coming back from a strained left hamstring, threw 55 pitches between Saturday’s outing in the Arizona Complex League and an extra session in the bullpen.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • But an investigation resulted in an astonishing call from the other side of the world, which revealed that ‘The GPO Girl’ was, in fact, a 25-year-old Australian, who has created more than 100 false identities.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 June 2025
  • Simultaneously, Dani Olmo could act as a false number 9 while a Robert Lewandowski believed to be on his way to Saudi Arabia in 2026 is gradually phased out.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • In fact, some mock boards don’t have Luis being drafted at all.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 17 June 2025
  • Connelly, like many media members, has taken part in the annual mock selection sessions run by the CFP to provide a window into its process.
    Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • And Silicon Valley is steeped in the idea that all of this will come about thanks to the imminent arrival of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a point at which artificial intelligence equals that of humans and then iterates upon itself, growing exponentially more brilliant with every version.
    Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2025
  • Steve Terrien will take on those challenges with some extraordinary personal ones of his own: an artificial limb and a recent diagnosis of prostate cancer.
    George Petras, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Speciale is a twin-turbo V-6 engine that, combined with an electric motor, makes 867 mechanical horsepower.
    Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 16 June 2025
  • Modern vehicles aren’t just mechanical marvels anymore—they’re software platforms on wheels.
    John Ellis, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • There is often no real path to recovery, especially when the recipient disappears behind a fake username and an unresponsive support system.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
  • These tech support scams combine seemingly genuine offers of help regarding security issues surrounding account activity with fake ID Captcha prompts that involve executing malicious commands using the Windows Run prompt.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • The reports of the monolithic legal model’s imminent death, to channel Mark Twain, have been greatly exaggerated.
    Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • Reports of Boca’s death were exaggerated, however, as their fans have breathed life into this newborn tournament here in Miami.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 16 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Unnatural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnatural. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

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