natural

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French naturel, from Latin naturalis of nature, from natura nature Date: 14th century 1. based on an inherent sense of right and wrong <

natural justice

> 2. a. being in accordance with or determined by nature b. having or constituting a classification based on features existing in nature 3. a. (1) begotten as distinguished from adopted; also legitimate (2) being a relation by actual consanguinity as distinguished from adoption <

natural parents

> b. illegitimate <

a natural child

> 4. having an essential relation with someone or something ; following from the nature of the one in question <

his guilt is a natural deduction from the evidence

> 5. implanted or being as if implanted by nature ; seemingly inborn <

a natural talent for art

> 6. of or relating to nature as an object of study and research 7. having a specified character by nature <

a natural athlete

> 8. a. occurring in conformity with the ordinary course of nature ; not marvelous or supernatural <

natural causes

> b. formulated by human reason alone rather than revelation <

natural religion

> <

natural rights

> c. having a normal or usual character <

events followed their natural course

> 9. possessing or exhibiting the higher qualities (as kindliness and affection) of human nature <

a noble…brother…ever most kind and natural — Shakespeare

> 10. a. growing without human care; also not cultivated <

natural prairie unbroken by the plow

> b. existing in or produced by nature ; not artificial <

natural turf

> <

natural curiosities

> c. relating to or being natural food 11. a. being in a state of nature without spiritual enlightenment ; unregenerate <

natural man

> b. living in or as if in a state of nature untouched by the influences of civilization and society 12. a. having a physical or real existence as contrasted with one that is spiritual, intellectual, or fictitious <

a corporation is a legal but not a natural person

> b. of, relating to, or operating in the physical as opposed to the spiritual world <

natural laws describe phenomena of the physical universe

> 13. a. closely resembling an original ; true to nature b. marked by easy simplicity and freedom from artificiality, affectation, or constraint c. having a form or appearance found in nature 14. a. having neither flats nor sharps <

the natural scale of C major

> b. being neither sharp nor flat c. having the pitch modified by the natural sign 15. of an off-white or beige color • naturalness noun Synonyms: natural, ingenuous, naive, unsophisticated, artless mean free from pretension or calculation. natural implies lacking artificiality and self-consciousness and having a spontaneousness suggesting the natural rather than the man-made world <

her unaffected, natural manner

>. ingenuous implies inability to disguise or conceal one's feelings or intentions <

the ingenuous enthusiasm of children

>. naive suggests lack of worldly wisdom often connoting credulousness and unchecked innocence <

politically naive

>. unsophisticated implies a lack of experience and training necessary for social ease and adroitness <

unsophisticated adolescents

>. artless suggests a naturalness resulting from unawareness of the effect one is producing on others <

artless charm

>. Synonym: see in addition regular. II. noun Date: 1533 1. one born without the usual powers of reason and understanding 2. a. a sign ♮ placed on any degree of the musical staff to nullify the effect of a preceding sharp or flat b. a note or tone affected by the natural sign 3. a result or combination that immediately wins the stake in a game; specifically a throw of 7 or 11 on the first cast in craps 4. a. one having natural skills, talents, or abilities b. something that is likely to become an immediate success c. one that is obviously suitable for a specific purpose 5. Afro