not natural

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   Behaving or happening in a way that seems odd, forced, or unlike normal human behavior.

   Grammar: Used after 'be' or 'seem': it feels not natural to do that. The adjective 'unnatural' means the same and fits more formal sentences.

   Patterns

   • it is not natural to do something
   • something is not natural for someone
   • not natural behavior

   Her smile looked polite but not natural, as if she were posing for a photo.

   It's not natural for a child to sit still for three hours.

   His way of talking felt stiff and not natural at all.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   Not existing or produced by nature; made or caused by people instead.

   Grammar: Often used before a noun: not natural light, not natural ingredients. Compare 'natural', which describes things that come from nature.

   Patterns

   • not natural light
   • not natural ingredients
   • not natural materials

   The plants grow under not natural light in that indoor farm.

   The color of the drink comes from not natural additives.

   These stones are not natural; they were made in a factory.

3. 3phrasefixed phrase

   Not the usual or expected result of a situation, so that something seems wrong.

   Grammar: Often in the pattern 'it is not natural that ...' or 'it is not natural for someone to ...'.

   Patterns

   • it is not natural that ...
   • it is not natural for someone to do something

   It's not natural that a healthy young man sleeps fourteen hours a day.

   It is not natural for prices to double in a single week.

Common combinations

look not natural

The new paint on the old wall looks not natural.

sound not natural

That sentence sounds not natural to a native speaker.

feel not natural

At first, the new shoes felt not natural on my feet.

completely not natural

The whole scene was completely not natural, like a film set.

not natural for someone

It's not natural for him to be so quiet.

Synonyms and how they differ

unnatural

The one-word adjective; it is more formal and more common in writing than the phrase 'not natural'.

artificial

Used mainly for things made by people rather than by nature, such as artificial flowers or artificial light.

forced

Describes a smile, laugh, or manner that is clearly not sincere, so it fits behavior better than objects.

Opposites

Word family

unnatural adjective

Strange or not produced by nature; the standard one-word form of this phrase.

naturally adverb

In a way that comes from nature or happens without effort.

naturalness noun

The quality of seeming normal and free from effort.

Commonly confused: not natural or unnatural? not natural or supernatural?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “not natural”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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