adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:N AE2 CH ER0 AH0 L IH1 S T IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:N AE2 CH R AH0 L IH1 S T IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having the appearance of nature or realism; lifelike or realistic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of or relating to philosophical or methodological naturalism.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Of, being, pertaining to, or occurring in a real-world, everyday setting, rather than in a controlled, supervised, or clinical one.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Of, being, pertaining to, or occurring in a real-world, everyday setting, rather than in a controlled, supervised, or clinical one.
Recreational; nontherapeutic; self-administered.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: specifically
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
representing what is real; not abstract or ideal
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
realistic portraiture
a realistic novel
in naturalistic colors
the school of naturalistic writers
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: realistic
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From naturalist + -ic or natural + -istic.
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Finnish:
realistinen
— having the appearance of nature, lifelike, realistic
German:
naturgetreu
— having the appearance of nature, lifelike, realistic
German:
realitätsnah
— having the appearance of nature, lifelike, realistic
German:
lebensecht
— having the appearance of nature, lifelike, realistic
German:
wirklichkeitsnah
— having the appearance of nature, lifelike, realistic
German:
wie im echten Leben
— having the appearance of nature, lifelike, realistic
Volapük:
lejenöfaveratik
— having the appearance of nature, lifelike, realistic
Volapük:
lifaveratik
— having the appearance of nature, lifelike, realistic
Finnish:
naturalistinen
— of or relating to naturalism
French:
naturaliste
— of or relating to naturalism
German:
naturalistisch
— of or relating to naturalism
Norwegian Bokmål:
naturalistisk
— of or relating to naturalism
Norwegian Nynorsk:
naturalistisk
— of or relating to naturalism
Portuguese:
naturalista
— of or relating to naturalism
Spanish:
naturalista
— of or relating to naturalism
Swedish:
naturalistisk
— of or relating to naturalism