Environment / B2

NACHR-uh-l/ˈnætʃrəl/

Natural means existing in nature, not made by people, or happening as you would expect: natural floodplains; a natural talent. Man-made / artificial sit opposite; nature is the noun (already in the dictionary). Map natural flood defences, not only walls. Mix-up: naturally is the adverb (already elsewhere). Do not call a planted conifer plantation “natural woodland” without a caveat.

Meaning

Existing in nature, not made by people; also expected or normal (a natural talent).

Examples

• “Map natural flood defences, not only concrete walls, the geography paper said.”
• “A natural pause in the oral is not a failed answer, which is the expected-behaviour sense.”

Good to know

natural + noun; a natural talent / disaster. Opposite: artificial / man-made. Noun: nature. Trap: naturally. Geography and orals. In nature, or unsurprising.

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