antinaturally
|an-ti-nat-u-ral-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈnætʃ.ər.əl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪˈnætʃ.ər.əl/
(antinatural)
against nature / not natural
Etymology
'antinaturally' originates from Greek prefix 'anti-' meaning 'against' combined with English 'natural' (from Latin 'naturalis' from 'natura' meaning 'birth, nature'), plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'.
'antinatural' formed in English by prefixing 'anti-' to 'natural' (which came into English via Old French and Latin 'naturalis' from 'natura'); the adverb 'antinaturally' developed by adding the English adverbial suffix '-ly'.
Initially it meant 'against nature' (literally opposed to natural order); over time it has remained close to that sense and is used to describe actions or appearances that seem unnatural or abnormal.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or quality of being antinatural; unnaturalness (formation: transformation of the base 'antinatural').
The antinaturalness of the experiment raised ethical concerns.
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Adjective 1
contrary to or opposed to what is natural; not natural.
The creature had an antinatural appearance that frightened the villagers.
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Adverb 1
in a manner contrary to what is natural; unnaturally or opposed to nature.
The puppet's limbs moved antinaturally, unsettling everyone in the room.
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Last updated: 2025/09/05 00:38
