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nat·u·ral (năchər-əl, năchrəl)
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adj.
1. Present in or produced by nature: a natural pearl.
2. Of, relating to, or concerning nature: a natural environment.
3. Conforming to the usual or ordinary course of nature: a natural death.
4.
a. Not acquired; inherent: Love of power is natural to some people.
b. Having a particular character by nature: a natural leader.
c. Biology Not produced or changed artificially; not conditioned: natural immunity; a natural reflex.
5. Characterized by spontaneity and freedom from artificiality, affectation, or inhibitions. See Synonyms at naive.
6. Not altered, treated, or disguised: natural coloring; natural produce.
7. Faithfully representing nature or life.
8. Expected and accepted: “In Willie's mind marriage remained the natural and logical sequence to love” (Duff Cooper).
9. Established by moral certainty or conviction: natural rights.
10. Being in a state regarded as primitive, uncivilized, or unregenerate.
11.
a. Related genetically: the natural parents of the child.
b. Born to parents who have never been married to each other: the natural son of the king.
12. Mathematics Of or relating to positive integers, sometimes including zero.
13. Music
a. Not sharped or flatted.
b. Having no sharps or flats.
14. Relating to hair that is allowed to remain in an unaltered state: “Many tweets also attacked double standards that exist regarding black women's hair. Wearing extensions and weaves can be seen as traitorous or insecure, while wearing hair in a natural or traditionally African-inspired style ... can result in mocking criticism” (Mary Emily O'Hara).
n.
1.
a. One having all the qualifications necessary for success: You are a natural for this job.
b. One suited by nature for a certain purpose or function: She is a natural at mathematics.
2. Music
a. The sign () placed before a note to cancel a preceding sharp or flat.
b. A note so affected.
3. A yellowish gray to pale orange yellow.
4. Games A combination in certain card and dice games that wins immediately.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin nātūrālis, from nātūra, nature; see NATURE.]

natu·ral·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.