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

As of yet, Barca doesn’t have a natural striker save for youngster Hamza Abdelkarim. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Instead of French tips or chrome, the natural nail takes center stage. — Paula Oelbaum, Glamour, 23 Aug. 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

Keeping him and his elite scoring ability would give the Red Wings a much more realistic ability to compete in the near future.

— Max Bultman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The states’ lawyers had signaled roughly $200 billion was a more realistic target at trial.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of realistic

Adjective

His brother had been born with a congenital condition and did not have a left hand.

— Allie Torgan, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
In December 2015, when Eva Benefield was just 14 years old, her mother, Renee Benefield, died suddenly from an undetected congenital heart defect.

— Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of congenital

Adjective

Twine said the range is formulated to improve hair that has been adversely impacted by environmental stressors like UV exposure, pollution and heat styling, and biological and hormonal shifts.

— Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
Freedom has spent weeks exposing the WNBA’s cowardice on transgender eligibility, demanding the league protect biological women from male competition.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of biological

Adjective

The Financial Times has argued that the astronomical prices of top modernist paintings are less about intrinsic artistic value than wealth, scarcity, and the concentration of buying power among billionaires.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Repurchases can create significant value when a company's shares trade below management's estimate of intrinsic value, because each remaining shareholder owns a larger percentage of the company afterward.

— Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of intrinsic

Adjective

Kendrick only found out about the event a day before and was already prepping for the upcoming Jackson Street Block Party in honor of Gary native Michael Jackson’s birthday.

— Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
The crabs were first spotted in the Mediterranean Sea in the last century but really began wreaking havoc only around a decade ago, when their population surged, posing a threat both to native biodiversity and to the fishing industry.

— Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of native

Adjective

Romania’s Defense Ministry said an unidentified drone crashed and burned in an uninhabited area near the Ukrainian border.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Mbaginta’o came from the Anga people, then known as the Kukukuku, who lived in a more remote region than the Fore, surrounded by uninhabited forest and steep mountains.

— Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of uninhabited

Adjective

In the artists who are asking that people leave their phones at home or in their pockets at concerts, in the genuine concern over whether younger generations are going to be able to read like older generations.

— Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
No government has publicly disclosed how many were judged genuine.

— Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of genuine

Adjective

Things could be better, which goes without saying in the aftermath of a flu pandemic that has wiped out most of the planet’s human population, but the four principals here could also be dead, so there’s that.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
The service got its name from the original Mechanical Turk, an 18th century chess-playing robot that was actually controlled by a human chess master.

— Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of human

Cite this Entry

Style

“Natural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natural. Accessed 30 Aug. 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

illustrious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes