nature

noun

ˈnā-chər How to pronounce nature (audio)
Definition of naturenext
1
as in self
the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others it was the grotesque nature of his stories that made them a challenge to get published in mainstream magazines her nature was such that lying was never an option for her the stoic nature of that family enables them to endure one calamity after another

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in wilderness
that part of the physical world that is removed from human habitation needed to get out of the office and back to nature in order to clear his head

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in kind
a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common group together anything round: buttons, lids, coins, and other things of that nature

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in disposition
one's characteristic attitude or mood a boy of a quiet and shy nature

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in essence
the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is some artists maintain that color, light, and shadow are the very nature of painting

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in universe
the whole body of things observed or assumed the belief that all of nature is controlled by an unseen Supreme Being

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word nature distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of nature are character, description, kind, sort, and type. While all these words mean "a number of individuals thought of as a group because of a common quality or qualities," nature may imply inherent, essential resemblance rather than obvious or superficial likenesses.

two problems of a similar nature

Where would character be a reasonable alternative to nature?

Although the words character and nature have much in common, character implies a group marked by distinctive likenesses peculiar to the type.

research on the subject so far has been of an elementary character

When is it sensible to use description instead of nature?

The synonyms description and nature are sometimes interchangeable, but description implies a group marked by agreement in all details belonging to a type as described or defined.

not all acts of that description are actually illegal

When can kind be used instead of nature?

In some situations, the words kind and nature are roughly equivalent. However, kind may suggest natural grouping.

a zoo seemingly having animals of every kind

When would sort be a good substitute for nature?

While the synonyms sort and nature are close in meaning, sort often suggests some disparagement.

the sort of newspaper dealing in sensational stories

In what contexts can type take the place of nature?

The words type and nature are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, type may suggest strong and clearly marked similarity throughout the items included so that each is typical of the group.

one of three basic body types

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 nature Viewed this way, superintelligence describes the depth of nature’s organizing intelligence, not a leaderboard of computational benchmarks. — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The princess has also increasingly made the importance of nature a focus of her work, including last year's release of a four-part video series on the power of nature. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Fans of the genre will be satisfied by the whodunit – the question of how something happened and the mysterious nature of it. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 Much of what’s in the movie is taken straight from Huxley, who despite the novelistic nature of his endeavor often presents real evidence alongside his creative depictions of events. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nature
  1. self
  2. wilderness
  3. kind
  4. disposition
  5. essence
  6. universe
  7. personality
  8. sort
Noun
  • On his first new music since getting sober, the prolific 30-year-old singer-songwriter offers a sense of adult clarity—and some welcome self-editing.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
  • That is among the top eight in self-funding for a candidate in California history, according to CalMatters.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of self
Noun
  • The blast produced enough energy to flatten a significant stretch of the Siberian wilderness, marking an event that still serves as a cautionary tale — and a major point of reference — for modern planetary defense efforts.
    — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Only a few decades later, environmentalists recast wilderness as something that needed saving.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of wilderness
Noun
  • The latest salvo is a two-week ad campaign launching Thursday in the Atlanta and Macon markets, the first broadcast buy of its kind for the caucus.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Non-essential workers—executives, administrators, management of all kinds—disappeared into Zoom en masse across the country.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of kind
Noun
  • On Wednesday, his office did not respond to a request for comment on his disposition toward the measure.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The probe found no criminal wrongdoing, at which point Spitzer shifted to negotiating towards a civil disposition with GKN and announced the claims program.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of disposition
Noun
  • But Williams, with her trademark video diaries, has distilled a vision of contemporary New York to its purest essence.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • One wants to know her stories, but more than that one wants to know her essence.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of essence
Noun
  • The latter predicts a single universe by denying the universal validity of Schrödinger’s equation.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • His sudden death in Rushville, frozen in the bleachers of the high school football stadium, certainly looked final, but this is the wild topsy-turvy universe of superheroes, so anything is possible.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of universe
Noun
  • There’s the menagerie of found object ephemera that provides a sense of intimacy and personality (look for the wild bit of art hanging in the spa entrance).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Piane’s compositions provided a foundation for contestants to showcase their personalities, give memorable performances and embrace the camp and theatricality that became hallmarks of the franchise.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of personality
Noun
  • Sarah sorts and starts the laundry in the building’s basement laundry room.
    — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 14 Oct. 2026
  • To date, Putin has rejected calls for restrictions on aerial strikes of any sort.
    — Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sort

Phrases Containing nature

Browse Nearby Words

naturalness
nature
natures
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Cite this Entry

“Nature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nature. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nature

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nature

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