Meaning & use
natural light
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
Light that comes from the sun, the sky or the moon, rather than from lamps or other made sources.
Grammar: Not used with a plural: the room gets plenty of natural light.
Patterns
- plenty of natural light
- in natural light
The kitchen has large windows that let in plenty of natural light.
She prefers to paint in natural light because the colors look truer.
Plants on a shelf far from the window do not get enough natural light.
Common combinations
- plenty of natural light
- The studio has plenty of natural light all morning.
- let in natural light
- Skylights let in natural light without losing privacy.
- soft natural light
- Photographers love the soft natural light at sunrise.
- lack of natural light
- The basement office suffers from a lack of natural light.
- bright natural light
- Check the fabric in bright natural light before buying it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- daylight
- Daylight is specifically light from the day sky, while natural light also covers moonlight or firelight in some uses.
- sunlight
- Sunlight means light directly from the sun, but natural light can be gentle, indirect light on a cloudy day.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: natural light or ambient light?
natural light vs ambient light
Ambient light is whatever light is already in a space, which may be artificial; natural light always comes from nature.
Practice
The photographer turned off the lamps because she wanted to shoot in ___.
Choose one answer.
Turning off the lamps leaves only light from outside, which is natural light. The other options all describe made light sources.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “natural light”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.