Meaning & use
naturalist
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Meanings
nouncountable
Someone who studies wildlife and the outdoors, mostly by watching and recording what they see.
Grammar: A person: a naturalist, the naturalists. Often paired with a place: a field naturalist.
Patterns
- a naturalist who studies something
- a naturalist at somewhere
The naturalist spent the whole summer recording the birds on the island.
Charles Darwin first traveled the world as a naturalist on a ship.
A local naturalist led our group along the river to look for otters.
nouncountabletechnical
A writer or artist who aims to show life exactly as it is, without idealizing it.
Grammar: Linked to the literary movement called naturalism.
Patterns
- a naturalist writer
The novelist was a naturalist who described the slums in unflinching detail.
Critics called the painter a naturalist because of his careful depiction of ordinary workers.
Among the naturalists of the period, Zola is the best known.
nouncountabletechnical
A person who believes that natural laws and causes explain everything and that nothing exists beyond nature.
Grammar: A philosophy term used mainly in academic discussion.
Patterns
- a naturalist about something
As a naturalist, she rejects any explanation that depends on the supernatural.
Several naturalists in the department argued that the mind is entirely a product of the brain.
The debate between a naturalist and a believer was lively but polite.
Word forms
| plural | naturalists |
|---|
Common combinations
- amateur naturalist
- He is an amateur naturalist who keeps detailed notes on every butterfly he sees.
- field naturalist
- A field naturalist often spends days waiting for an animal to appear.
- renowned naturalist
- The renowned naturalist wrote dozens of books about tropical forests.
- naturalist guide
- The naturalist guide pointed out a rare orchid.
- trained naturalist
- A trained naturalist can identify most birds by their song.
Synonyms and how they differ
- biologist
- A biologist usually has formal scientific training and works in a lab or research setting, while a naturalist is often defined by outdoor observation.
- ecologist
- An ecologist studies how living things relate to their surroundings, which is narrower than the broad observation a naturalist does.
- zoologist
- A zoologist studies animals only, whereas a naturalist may study plants, rocks and weather too.
- birdwatcher
- A birdwatcher observes birds as a hobby, while a naturalist usually studies a wider range of life.
Word family
Commonly confused: naturalist or naturist? naturalist or naturalized?
naturalist vs naturist
A naturist is a person who practices going without clothes, which is unrelated to studying nature.
naturalist vs naturalized
Naturalized describes a person who has been granted citizenship, which is a different meaning.
Practice
Which person is most clearly a naturalist?
Choose one answer.
A naturalist studies the natural world, mostly by observation. The other options involve nature only indirectly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “naturalist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.