Natural

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: nat=u=ral

CIDE DICTIONARY

Natural, a. [OE. naturel, F. naturel, fr. L. naturalis, fr. natura. See Nature.].

•  Fixed or determined by nature; pertaining to the constitution of a thing; belonging to native character; according to nature; essential; characteristic; innate; not artificial, foreign, assumed, put on, or acquired; as, the natural growth of animals or plants; the natural motion of a gravitating body; natural strength or disposition; the natural heat of the body; natural color.  [1913 Webster]

  "With strong natural sense, and rare force of will."  [1913 Webster]
•  Conformed to the order, laws, or actual facts, of nature; consonant to the methods of nature; according to the stated course of things, or in accordance with the laws which govern events, feelings, etc.; not exceptional or violent; legitimate; normal; regular; as, the natural consequence of crime; a natural death; anger is a natural response to insult.  [1913 Webster]

  "What can be more natural than the circumstances in the behavior of those women who had lost their husbands on this fatal day?"  [1913 Webster]
•  Having to do with existing system to things; dealing with, or derived from, the creation, or the world of matter and mind, as known by man; within the scope of human reason or experience; not supernatural; as, a natural law; natural science; history, theology.  [1913 Webster]

  "I call that natural religion which men might know . . . by the mere principles of reason, improved by consideration and experience, without the help of revelation."  [1913 Webster]
•  Conformed to truth or reality  [1913 Webster]
•  Having the character or sentiments properly belonging to one's position; not unnatural in feelings.  [1913 Webster]

  "To leave his wife, to leave his babes, . . .
  He wants the natural touch."  [1913 Webster]
•  Connected by the ties of consanguinity.  J. H. Newman.  [1913 Webster]
•  Begotten without the sanction of law; born out of wedlock; illegitimate; bastard; as, a natural child.  [1913 Webster]
•  Of or pertaining to the lower or animal nature, as contrasted with the higher or moral powers, or that which is spiritual; being in a state of nature; unregenerate.  [1913 Webster]

  "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God."  [1913 Webster]
•  Belonging to, to be taken in, or referred to, some system, in which the base is 1; -- said of certain functions or numbers; as, natural numbers, those commencing at 1; natural sines, cosines, etc., those taken in arcs whose radii are 1.  [1913 Webster]
•  Produced by natural organs, as those of the human throat, in distinction from instrumental music.  Moore (Encyc. of Music).  [1913 Webster]
•  Existing in nature or created by the forces of nature, in contrast to production by man; not made, manufactured, or processed by humans; as, a natural ruby; a natural bridge; natural fibers; a deposit of natural calcium sulfate. Opposed to artificial, man-made, manufactured, processed and synthetic.  [PJC]
•  Not processed or refined; in the same statre as that existing in nature; as, natural wood; natural foods.  [PJC]

  "Model would be a preferable term, as less likely to mislead, the so-called artificial scales (scales represented by the use of flats and sharps) being equally natural with the so-called natural scale."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- See Native.

Natural, n. 

•  A native; an aboriginal.  Sir W. Raleigh.  [1913 Webster]
•  Natural gifts, impulses, etc.  Fuller.  [1913 Webster]
•  One born without the usual powers of reason or understanding; an idiot.  Locke.  [1913 Webster]
•  A character [1913 Webster]
•  A person who has an innate talent that makes success in some specific endeavor, such as sports, much easier than for others; as, Pele was a natural in soccer.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Natural, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 a existing in or caused by nature; not artificial (natural landscape). b uncultivated; wild (existing in its natural state).
2 in the course of nature; not exceptional or miraculous (died of natural causes; a natural occurrence).
3 (of human nature etc.) not surprising; to be expected (natural for her to be upset).
4 a (of a person or a person's behaviour) unaffected, easy, spontaneous. b (foll. by to) spontaneous, easy (friendliness is natural to him).
5 a (of qualities etc.) inherent; innate (a natural talent for music). b (of a person) having such qualities (a natural linguist).
6 not disguised or altered (as by make-up etc.).
7 lifelike; as if in nature (the portrait looked very natural).
8 likely by its or their nature to be such (natural enemies; the natural antithesis).
9 having a physical existence as opposed to what is spiritual, intellectual, etc. (the natural world).
10 a related by nature, out of wedlock, esp. in a specified manner (her natural son). b illegitimate (a natural child).
11 based on the innate moral sense; instinctive (natural justice).
12 Mus. a (of a note) not sharpened or flattened (B natural). b (of a scale) not containing any sharps or flats.
13 not enlightened or communicated by revelation (the natural man).
--n.
1 colloq. (usu. foll. by for) a person or thing naturally suitable, adept, expert, etc. (a natural for the championship).
2 archaic a person mentally deficient from birth.
3 Mus. a a sign (****) denoting a return to natural pitch after a sharp or a flat. b a natural note. c a white key on a piano.
4 a Cards a hand making 21 in the first deal in pontoon. b a throw of 7 or 11 at craps.
5 a pale fawn colour.

Idiom

natural-born having a character or position by birth. natural childbirth Med. childbirth with minimal medical or technological intervention. natural classification a scientific classification according to natural features. natural death death by age or disease, not by accident, poison, violence, etc. natural food food without preservatives etc. natural gas an inflammable mainly methane gas found in the earth's crust, not manufactured. natural historian a writer or expert on natural history. natural history
1 the study of animals or plants esp. as set forth for popular use.
2 an aggregate of the facts concerning the flora and fauna etc. of a particular place or class (a natural history of the Isle of Wight). natural key (or scale) Mus. a key or scale having no sharps or flats, i.e. C major and A minor. natural language a language that has developed naturally.
natural law
1 Philos. unchanging moral principles common to all people by virtue of their nature as human beings.
2 a correct statement of an invariable sequence between specified conditions and a specified phenomenon.
3 the laws of nature; regularity in nature (where they saw chance, we see natural law). natural life the duration of one's life on earth. natural logarithm see LOGARITHM. natural magic magic involving the supposed invocation of impersonal spirits. natural note Mus. a note that is neither sharp nor flat. natural numbers the integers 1, 2, 3, etc. natural philosopher archaic a physicist. natural philosophy archaic physics. natural religion a religion based on reason (opp. revealed religion); deism. natural resources materials or conditions occurring in nature and capable of economic exploitation. natural science the sciences used in the study of the physical world, e.g. physics, chemistry, geology, biology, botany. natural selection the Darwinian theory of the survival and propagation of organisms best adapted to their environment. natural theology the knowledge of God as gained by the light of natural reason. natural uranium unenriched uranium. natural virtues Philos. justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude. natural year the time taken by one revolution of the earth round the sun, 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes.

Derivative

naturalness n.

Etymology

ME f. OF naturel f. L naturalis (as NATURE)

THESAURUS

Natural

Afro, Attic, Bohemian, Ciceronian, Spartan, accepted, accidental, actual, affable, agrarian, alien, ament, appropriate, arcadian, artist, artless, ascetic, atavistic, austere, authentic, automatic, bald, bare, baseborn, basic, bastard, bodily, bona fide, born, born fool, breathing, breve, bucolic, candid, card-carrying, case, cast, casual, character, characteristic, chaste, child prodigy, cinch, classic, clear, clot, coeval, coif, coiffure, cold wave, common, commonplace, congenital, congenital idiot, conk, connatal, connate, connatural, consequent, consistent, consonant, constitutional, cordial, course, crackpot, crank, crap, craps, cretin, crotchet, customary, defective, degage, demisemiquaver, dinkum, direct, distinctive, distinguishing, dominant, dominant note, double whole note, dry, dull, easy, easygoing, eccentric, eighth note, elegant, enharmonic, enharmonic note, everyday, exemplary, expected, faithful, familiar, fanatic, fatherless, finished, fitting, flat, folksy, following the letter, fool, frank, free and easy, fundamental, general, genetic, genius, genuine, gifted child, gifted person, golem, good, graceful, gracile, gracious, guileless, habitual, haircut, hairdo, hairstyle, half note, half-wit, haymish, headdress, health, hemidemisemiquaver, hereditary, hermit, hobo, home permanent, homely, homespun, homey, honest, honest-to-God, idiot, ignorant, illegitimate, imbecile, impulsive, in the blood, in the raw, inartificial, inborn, inbred, incarnate, indigenous, informal, ingenuous, ingrained, inherent, inherited, innate, innocent, instinctive, instinctual, intellectual genius, intellectual prodigy, involuntary, irregular, juggins, kook, lawful, lean, legitimate, libidinal, lifelike, limpid, literal, living, logical, lone wolf, loner, loose, lucid, man of parts, matter-of-fact, maverick, mental genius, mental giant, meshuggenah, minim, misbegotten, mongoloid idiot, moron, musical note, naive, native, native to, natural idiot, natural to, natural-born fool, naturalistic, naturelike, naturistic, neat, net, nick, nonconformist, normal, note, nut, odd fellow, oddball, oddity, offhand, offhanded, open, orderly, ordinary, organic, original, outsider, pariah, pastoral, patent note, pellucid, permanent, permanent wave, perspicuous, physical, plain, plain-speaking, plain-spoken, polished, prevalent, primal, primitive, pristine, process, prodigy, proper, prosaic, prosing, prosy, provincial, pure, quarter note, quaver, queer duck, queer fish, queer specimen, quintessential, rara avis, real, realistic, reasonable, refined, regular, relaxed, report, responding note, restrained, rightful, roll, round, routine, rural, rustic, sample, screwball, semibreve, semiquaver, sensible, severe, shaped note, sharp, shoo-in, shot, simon-pure, simp, simple, simple-speaking, simplehearted, simpleton, sincere, sixteenth note, sixty-fourth note, sober, sociable, solitary, spare, speaking, spiccato, spontaneous, spurious, staccato, standard, stark, sterling, straight, straightforward, subliminal, supposititious, sure bet, sure success, sure thing, sure-enough, sustained note, talent, tasteful, temperamental, tercet, terse, thirty-second note, throw, to the life, tone, tramp, trim, triplet, true, true to form, true to life, true to nature, true to reality, true to type, typal, type, typic, typical, unacquired, unadorned, unadulterated, unaffected, unartificial, unassumed, unassuming, unceremonious, uncolored, unconcocted, unconscious, unconstrained, unconventional, uncopied, uncounterfeited, uncultivated, understandable, undesigning, undisguised, undisguising, undissembling, undissimulating, undistorted, undomesticated, unembarrassed, unembellished, unexaggerated, unexceptional, unfabricated, unfanciful, unfeigned, unfeigning, unfictitious, unflattering, unimaginative, unimagined, unimitated, uninvented, unlabored, unlearned, unofficial, unpoetical, unpremeditated, unpretended, unpretending, unpretentious, unqualified, unromantic, unschooled, unsimulated, unsophisticated, unspecious, unspoiled, unstudied, unsullied, unsynthetic, untouched, untutored, unvarnished, unworldly, usual, verbal, verbatim, veridical, verisimilar, virgin, virginal, wave, whole note, winner, word-for-word, zany, zealot

ROGET THESAURUS

Natural

Plainness

N plainness, simplicity, severity, plain terms, plain English, Saxon English, household words, plain, simple, unornamented, unadorned, unvarnished, homely, homespun, neat, severe, chaste, pure, Saxon, commonplace, matter-of- fact, natural, prosaic, dry, unvaried, monotonous, in plain terms, in plain words, in plain English, in plain common parlance, point-blank.

Elegance

N elegance, purity, grace, ease, gracefulness, readiness, concinnity, euphony, numerosity, Atticism, classicalism, classicism, well rounded periods, well turned periods, flowing periods, the right word in the right place, antithesis, purist, elegant, polished, classical, Attic, correct, Ciceronian, artistic, chaste, pure, Saxon, academical, graceful, easy, readable, fluent, flowing, tripping, unaffected, natural, unlabored, mellifluous, euphonious, euphemism, euphemistic, numerose, rhythmical, felicitous, happy, neat, well put, neatly put, well expressed, neatly expressed.

Impulse

N impulse, sudden thought, impromptu, improvisation, inspiration, flash, spurt, improvisatore, creature of impulse, extemporaneous, impulsive, indeliberate, snap, improvised, improvisate, improvisatory, unpremeditated, unmeditated, improvise, unprompted, unguided, natural, unguarded, spontaneous, instinctive, extempore, extemporaneously, offhand, impromptu, a limproviste, improviso, on the spur of the moment, on the spur of the occasion, impulse, impulsion, impetus, momentum, push, pulsion, thrust, shove, jog, jolt, brunt, booming, boost, throw, explosion, propulsion, percussion, concussion, collision, occursion, clash, encounter, cannon, carambole, appulse, shock, crash, bump, impact, elan, charge, beating, blow, dint, stroke, knock, tap, rap, slap, smack, pat, dab, fillip, slam, bang, hit, whack, thwack, cuff, squash, dowse, swap, whap, punch, thump, pelt, kick, punce, calcitration, ruade, arietation, cut, thrust, lunge, yerk, carom, carrom, clip, jab, plug, sidewinder, sidewipe, sideswipe, hammer, sledge hammer, mall, maul, mallet, flail, ram, rammer, battering ram, monkey, pile-driving engine, punch, bat, cant hook, cudgel, ax, dynamics, seismometer, accelerometer, earthquake detector, impelling, impulsive, impellent, booming, dynamic, dynamical, impelled, a hit, a very palpable hit.

Intrinsicality

N intrinsicality, inbeing, inherence, inhesion, subjectiveness, ego, egohood, essence, noumenon, essentialness, essential part, quintessence, incarnation, quiddity, gist, pith, marrow, core, sap, lifeblood, backbone, heart, soul, important part, principle, nature, constitution, character, type, quality, crasis, diathesis, habit, temper, temperament, spirit, humor, grain, disposition, endowment, capacity, capability, moods, declensions, features, aspects, peculiarities, idiosyncrasy, oddity, idiocrasy, diagnostics, derived from within, subjective, intrinsic, intrinsical, fundamental, normal, implanted, inherent, essential, natural, innate, inborn, inbred, ingrained, inwrought, coeval with birth, genetous, haematobious, syngenic, radical, incarnate, thoroughbred, hereditary, inherited, immanent, congenital, congenite, connate, running in the blood, ingenerate, ingenite, indigenous, in the grain, bred in the bone, instinctive, inward, internal, to the manner born, virtual, characteristic, invariable, incurable, incorrigible, ineradicable, fixed, intrinsically, at bottom, in the main, in effect, practically, virtually, substantially, au fond, fairly, character is higher than intellect, come give us a taste of your quality, magnos homines virtute metimur non fortuna, non numero haec judicantur sed pondere, vital spark of heavenly flame.

Nonpreparation

N nonpreparation, non-preparation, absence of preparation, want of preparation, inculture, inconcoction, improvidence, immaturity, crudity, rawness, abortion, disqualification, nature, state of nature, virgin soil, unweeded garden, neglect, rough copy, germ, raw material, improvisation, unprepared (prepare), without preparation, incomplete, rudimental, embryonic, abortive, immature, unripe, kachcha, raw, green, crude, coarse, rough cast, rough hewn, in the rough, unhewn, unformed, unfashioned, unwrought, unlabored, unblown, uncooked, unboiled, unconcocted, unpolished, unhatched, unfledged, unnurtured, unlicked, untaught, uneducated, uncultivated, untrained, untutored, undrilled, unexercised, deckle- edged, precocious, premature, undigested, indigested, unmellowed, unseasoned, unleavened, unrehearsed, unscripted, extemporaneous, improvised, spontaneous, ad lib, ad libitem, fallow, unsown, untilled, natural, in a state of nature, undressed, in dishabille, en deshabille, unqualified, disqualified, unfitted, ill-digested, unbegun, unready, unarranged, unorganized, unfurnished, unprovided, unequipped, untrimmed, out of gear, out of order, dismantled, shiftless, improvident, unthrifty, thriftless, thoughtless, unguarded, happy-go- lucky, caught napping, unpremeditated, extempore.

Normality

N normality, normalcy, normalness, familiarity, naturalness, commonness (frequency), rule, standard (conformity), customary (habit), standard, pattern (prototype), normal, natural, unexceptional, common, usual (frequency).

Artlessness

N artlessness, nature, simplicity, innocence, bonhomie, naivete, abandon, candor, sincerity, singleness of purpose, singleness of heart, honesty, plain speaking, epanchement, rough diamond, matter of fact man, le palais de verite, enfant terrible, artless, natural, pure, native, confiding, simple, lain, inartificial, untutored, unsophisticated, ingenu, unaffected, naive, sincere, frank, open, open as day, candid, ingenuous, guileless, unsuspicious, honest, innocent, Arcadian, undesigning, straightforward, unreserved, aboveboard, simple-minded, single-minded, frank-hearted, open-hearted, single-hearted, simple-hearted, free-spoken, plain-spoken, outspoken, blunt, downright, direct, matter of fact, unpoetical, unflattering, in plain words, in plain English, without mincing the matter, not to mince the matter, Davus sum non Oedipus, liberavi animam meam, as frank as rain on cherry blossoms.

Concord

N concord, accord, harmony, symphony, homologue, agreement, sympathy, empathy, response, union, unison, unity, bonds of harmony, peace, unanimity, league, happy family, rapprochement, reunion, amity, alliance, entente cordiale, good understanding, conciliation, peacemaker, intercessor, mediator, concordant, congenial, agreeing, in accord, harmonious, united, cemented, banded together, allied, friendly, fraternal, conciliatory, at one with, of one mind, at peace, in still water, tranquil, with one voice, in concert with, hand in hand, on one's side, commune periculum concordiam parit, melody concord, melody, rhythm, measure, rhyme, pitch, timbre, intonation, tone, scale, gamut, diapason, diatonic chromatic scale, enharmonic scale, key, clef, chords, modulation, temperament, syncope, syncopation, preparation, suspension, resolution, staff, stave, line, space, brace, bar, rest, appoggiato, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, note, musical note, notes of a scale, sharp, flat, natural, high note, low note, interval, semitone, second, third, fourth, diatessaron, breve, semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver, demisemiquaver, hemidemisemiquaver, sustained note, drone, burden, tonic, key note, leading note, fundamental note, supertonic, mediant, dominant, submediant, subdominant, octave, tetrachord, major key, minor key, major scale, minor scale, major mode, minor mode, passage, phrase, concord, harmony, emmeleia, unison, unisonance, chime, homophony, euphony, euphonism, tonality, consonance, consent, part, harmony, harmonics, thorough-bass, fundamental-bass, counterpoint, faburden, piece of music, composer, harmonist, contrapuntist (musician), harmonious, harmonical, in concord, in tune, in concert, unisonant, concentual, symphonizing, isotonic, homophonous, assonant, ariose, consonant, measured, rhythmical, diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic, melodious, musical, melic, tuneful, tunable, sweet, dulcet, canorous, mellow, mellifluous, soft, clear, clear as a bell, silvery, euphonious, euphonic, euphonical, symphonious, enchanting fine-toned, full-toned, silver-toned, harmoniously, in harmony, as one, the hidden soul of harmony.

Truth

N truth, fact, reality, plain fact, plain matter of fact, nature, truth, verity, gospel, gospel truth, God's honest truth, orthodoxy, authenticity, veracity, correctness, correctitude, accuracy, exactitude, exactness, preciseness, precision, delicacy, rigor, mathematical precision, punctuality, clockwork precision, conformity to rule, nicety, orthology, ipsissima verba, realism, plain truth, honest truth, sober truth, naked truth, unalloyed truth, unqualified truth, stern truth, exact truth, intrinsic truth, nuda veritas, the very thing, not an illusion, real Simon Pure, unvarnished tale, unvarnished truth, the truth the whole truth and nothing but the trut, just the thing, real, actual, veritable, true, right, correct, certain, substantially true, categorically true, definitively true, true to the letter, true as gospel, unimpeachable, veracious, unreconfuted, unconfuted, unideal, unimagined, realistic, exact, accurate, definite, precise, well-defined, just, just so, so, strict, severe, close, literal, rigid, rigorous, scrupulous, religiously exact, punctual, mathematical, scientific, faithful, constant, unerring, curious, particular, nice, delicate, fine, clean-cut, clear-cut, verified, empirically true, experimentally verified, substantiated, proven (demonstrated), rigorously true, unquestionably true, true by definition, genuine, authentic, legitimate, orthodox, official, ex officio, pure, natural, sound, sterling, unsophisticated, unadulterated, unvarnished, unalloyed, uncolored, in its true colors, pukka, well-grounded, well founded, solid, substantial, tangible, valid, undistorted, undisguised, unaffected, unexaggerated, unromantic, unflattering, truly, verily, indeed, really, in reality, with truth, certainly, actually, in effect, exactly, ad amussim, verbatim, verbatim et literatim, word for word, literally, literatim, totidem vervis, sic, to the letter, chapter and verse, ipsissimis verbis, ad unguem, to an inch, to a nicety, to a hair, to a tittle, to a turn, to a T, au pied de la lettre, neither more nor less, in every respect, in all respects, sous tous les rapports, at any rate, at all events, strictly speaking, the truth is, the fact is, rem acu tetigisti, en suivant la verite, ex facto jus oritur, la verita e figlia del empo, locos y ninos dicen la verdad, crazy people and children tell the truth, nihil est veritatis luce dulcius, veritas nunquam perit, veritatem dies aperit, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, just the facts, ma'am, just the facts.

Fool

N fool, idiot, tomfool, wiseacre, simpleton, witling, dizzard, donkey, ass, ninny, ninnyhammer, chowderhead, chucklehead, dolt, booby, Tom Noddy, looby, hoddy-doddy, noddy, nonny, noodle, nizy, owl, goose, goosecap, imbecile, gaby, radoteur, nincompoop, badaud, zany, trifler, babbler, pretty fellow, natural, niais, child, baby, infant, innocent, milksop, sop, oaf, lout, loon, lown, dullard, doodle, calf, colt, buzzard, block, put, stick, stock, numps, tony, bull head, dunderhead, addlehead, blockhead, dullhead, loggerhead, jolthead, jolterhead, beetlehead, beetlebrain, grosshead, muttonhead, noodlehead, giddyhead, numbskull, thickskull, lackbrain, shallowbrain, dimwit, halfwit, lackwit, dunderpate, lunkhead sawney, gowk, clod, clod-hopper, clod-poll, clot-poll, clot-pate, bull calf, gawk, Gothamite, lummox, rube, men of Boeotia, wise men of Gotham, un sot a triple etage, sot, jobbernowl, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche, dotard, driveler, old fogey, old woman, crock, crone, grandmother, cotquean, henhussy, incompetent (insanity), greenhorn, dunce, lubber, madman, one who will not set the Thames on fire, one who did not invent gunpowder, qui n'a pas invente' la poudre, no conjuror, fortuna favet fatuis, les fous font les festinas et les sages les mangen, nomina stultorum parietibus harrent, stultorum plena sunt omnia.