Langimage
English

antinaturally

|an-ti-nat-u-ral-ly|

C2

🇺🇸

/ˌæn.tiˈnætʃ.ər.əl/

🇬🇧

/ˌæn.tɪˈnætʃ.ər.əl/

(antinatural)

against nature / not natural

Base FormPluralComparativeSuperlativeNounAdverb
antinaturalantinaturalnessesmore antinaturalmost antinaturalantinaturalnessantinaturally
Etymology
Etymology Information

'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'.

Historical Evolution

'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'.

Meaning Changes

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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Antonyms

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