Meaning & use
naturalist
A person who studies plants, animals, and other aspects of the natural world, often through direct observation.
See it in a sentence
The naturalist spent decades documenting rare bird species in the rainforest.
As a child, she loved collecting leaves and insects like a budding naturalist.
A note on using this word
A naturalist typically studies nature broadly through observation, while a "biologist" often implies formal, specialized training.
Words with a similar meaning
nature scientistfield biologist
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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