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unnatural

unnatural

97 4.1
Not normal or what people expect
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈnætʃərəl/
: anormal
  • So it feels on its face very unnatural, unusual, maybe even dangerous.
  • unnatural causes
  • dies of unnatural causes
  • natural and unnatural

So justice and virtue would be unnatural for us human beings.

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Examples

  • I couldn't help thinking there was something unnatural about a frog in a bathroom.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • It just feels so unnatural to run.

  • It's unnatural for your child to go before you.

  • Her strength always seemed unnatural.

  • But that looks very unnatural next to the iPhone.

  • It feels unnatural to me that this is it.

  • The assumption is that work is an unnatural behavior carried out by essentially reluctant workers.

    Academic text (1993)
  • There wasn't any, just an eerie, unnatural silence.

  • Seems unnatural, wrong even, for 60-year-olds to dress up as prostitutes and priests on a Sunday afternoon.

  • Her sudden ability to speak fluent French felt unnatural to everyone who knew she had never studied the language.

Synonyms

weird
vsunnatural
  • Informal
∞ 3.2

Strange or unusual in a way that makes people feel uncomfortable

is less emotional and focuses on being not normal
strange
vsunnatural
∞ 2.3

Unusual and slightly odd in a way you cannot easily understand

places more emphasis on being against normal or expected ways
unusual
vsunnatural
∞ 2.2

Not common and different from what people expect

suggests being against what is normal or expected
odd
vsunnatural
878 1.0

Different from what is normal or expected

is stronger and suggests clear opposition to the normal
different
vsunnatural
575 2.0

Not usual and not like what people expect

adds a sense of opposing normal or expected order
bizarre
vsunnatural
389 5.9

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is milder and covers being not normal without shock
curious
vsunnatural
142 4.0

Strange or unusual in a way that attracts attention

is more negative, implying clear opposition to the usual
uncommon
vsunnatural
126 4.6

Not often found or seen and so rare

focuses instead on being opposed to normal expectations
peculiar
vsunnatural
101 4.6

Different from what is normal and expected

is broader, focusing on being against normal rather than odd
abnormal
vsunnatural
98 4.2

Different from what is usual in a way that may be worrying

can be less worrying and simply means opposing normal expectation
unconventional
vsunnatural
76 6.2

Different from what most people do or accept

focuses more on being contrary to normal expectations rather than customs
out of the ordinary
vsunnatural
68 4.1

Not usual and different from what people expect

implies a stronger sense of being against normal order
unorthodox
vsunnatural
48 7.3

Not following the usual rules or customs

relates instead to being against normal or expected practice
atypical
vsunnatural
26 5.7

Different from what is usual or expected

carries a stronger sense of being contrary to the usual
anomalous
vsunnatural
22 8.1

Not like what is usual or expected

is broader, covering anything not normal or expected
aberrant
vsunnatural
14 8.2

Different from what is normal, often in a way people see as wrong

covers any case that goes against normal or expected rules
irregular
vsunnatural
14 3.4

Not following a usual pattern or rule

is about being against what is normal or expected overall
out of the way
vsunnatural
3 6.1

Unusual in a way that does not follow normal rules

puts clearer stress on opposing natural or expected patterns
non-normal
vsunnatural
  • Specialized
1 7.7

Not following the usual or expected pattern in data

is the everyday sense, not limited to technical contexts
non-typical
vsunnatural
1 4.8

Not usual or expected

leans more toward being contrary to normal expectation
unordinary
vsunnatural
1 7.0

Not usual and different from what you expect

adds a stronger sense of opposing usual or expected norms
unwonted
vsunnatural
  • Literature
1 9.9

Not usual or expected in a situation

is more common and simple, not chiefly literary or formal

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Usual or expected in most situations

426 1.0

Normal and healthy for the body or mind

Compounds

unnatural selection
  • Specialized
1 7.7

Human actions decide which animals or plants live and reproduce rather than nature

How Natural

natural
∞ 1.0
normal
∞ 1.0
unusual
∞ 2.2
strange
∞ 2.3
unnatural
97 4.1
bizarre
389 5.9

Surface Forms

unnatural positive
unnaturaler comparative
unnaturalest superlative

Morphology

unnatural = natural (transparent) = un + natural

A clear, regular negation formed by the productive prefix 'un-' attached to the adjective 'natural', yielding 'not natural'.

Etymology

Unnatural is made from un- meaning 'not' and natural meaning 'from nature' or 'normal'. So something called unnatural is 'not as nature makes it', meaning it is strange, abnormal, or not what we expect.