naturalistic

adjective

nat·​u·​ral·​is·​tic ˌna-ch(ə-)rə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce naturalistic (audio)
variants or less commonly naturalist
Synonyms of naturalisticnext
: of, characterized by, or according with naturalism
naturalistically adverb

Examples of naturalistic in a Sentence

The zoo strives to create naturalistic settings for the animals. the movie's volcanic eruption is so naturalistic that it's easy to forget that it all came out of a computer
Recent Examples on the Web
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The city began a program in 2023 allowing residents to register their naturalistic landscapes for protection. Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026 The aim is a naturalistic feel and immersion in a distinctive Extremaduran accent, a register the filmmaker notes has been little exploited on screen. Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026 Altogether, the production ran nearly five miles of cable up and down the building and back to the live broadcast basecamp on the ground — all invisible tech infrastructure supporting an event designed to feel naturalistic on screen. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026 This is either the milieu of an early-nineties sci-fi novel or something close to a naturalistic portrayal of contemporary San Francisco. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for naturalistic

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of naturalistic was in 1838

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Cite this Entry

“Naturalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalistic. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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