NATURAL Synonyms: 440 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

natural 1 of 2

adjective

ˈna-ch(ə-)rəl

Definition of natural

as in realistic

closely resembling the object imitated the diorama featuring stuffed birds and plastic plants actually looked very natural

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in born

being such from birth or by nature from his first visits to the wading pool, we could tell that our little boy loved water and was a natural swimmer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in biological

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in intrinsic

being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing her natural talent for music first became apparent when, unbidden, she started banging on a toy piano

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in uninhabited

existing without human habitation or cultivation photographs of animals in their natural habitat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in genuine

free from any intent to deceive or impress others she was completely natural in expressing her feelings for him, unafraid of how they would be received

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in human

relating to or characteristic of human beings it's only natural to make mistakes—it's part of being human

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in illegitimate

born to a father and mother who are not married had fathered an unknown number of natural children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

legitimate

as in great

having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature his late grandfather was as kind and natural a man as one could ever hope to meet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in barbarian

not civilized a natural man, unacquainted with the blessings and burdens of society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

natural

2 of 2

noun

as in phenomenon

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

Underneath, Nicks let her natural curls run wild, cascading down her back and shoulders. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026 The ubiquity of curanderas and a close connection to Catholicism also provide natural entryways into horror for Latinos. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Noun

This SheaMoisture bestseller is an oldie but goodie, and has historically been a popular pick for beginner naturals (speaking from experience). — Eden Stuart, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026 In the bawdy comedic scene, Tommy wakes up au natural in his hotel bed after an amorous evening with his wife, Angela Norris (Ali Larter), to find a shocked housekeeper in the hotel room. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for natural

Recent Examples of Synonyms for natural

Adjective

This was a back-door effort to coerce Detroit to phase out the internal combustion engine, as the only realistic way car makers could meet the requirement was to massively expand their EV or hybrid inventories.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
The center is designed to develop and train humanoids specifically for public safety applications, with engineers using realistic environments and mock-ups to test the machines and collect training data.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of realistic

Adjective

For years, Mullen was all too aware of a problem with his neck, a congenital fusion in a facet joint.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Suspicions of a link between extremely rare congenital infections and the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been supported by a massive new study led by scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

— Mike McRae September 24, New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of congenital

Adjective

An institution built explicitly to neutralize biological catastrophes is now at the center of one.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, first given in 1901, has been awarded 116 times to 232 winners for innovations in medicine and biological sciences.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of biological

Adjective

This allowed the team to link the performance difference to the intrinsic properties of the molecules rather than the amount of available surface.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
In its proxy statement, Oracle told investors the fact that Ellison and the co-CEOs’ options had no intrinsic value means the plan is working as intended.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of intrinsic

Adjective

Bathroom amenities, made locally in AlUla from the native Peregrina Moringa plant, come in refillable celadon jars.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Born Marie Zelnickova, the Prague native lives with Ivanka, along with her husband, Jared Kushner, and their three kids in the mega-affluent community of Indian Creek Village near Miami Beach.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of native

Adjective

The uninhabited island is located in the middle of the Mona Passage, a strait between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
Six goats—with names like Gilligan and MacLovin'—nibble on the leaves of bush honeysuckle and English ivy, clearing some of the invasive plant species that have choked out the native flora that once flourished on the uninhabited island.

— Daliah Singer, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of uninhabited

Adjective

And Steward’s emphasis on cultivating a genuine connection to his players fit naturally with the culture Chesney vowed to instill in Westwood.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Companies have achieved genuine breakthroughs in locomotion, perception and manipulation.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of genuine

Adjective

The dizzying evolution of AI picks up speed when Ilya gets Sam worked up about next-level AGI, or Artificial General Intelligence, theoretical technology with human-level cognitive capabilities.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
This could allow human personnel to concentrate on duties requiring judgment, empathy and discretion while reducing their exposure to hazardous situations.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of human

Cite this Entry

Style

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of natural

adjective

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes