Nature Means What Something Is Born As
Nature is the physical world, and also the essential character of something. Both come from the Latin for birth.
Nature is the physical world, and also the inherent character of a thing or person. The Latin *natura* comes from *nasci*, to be born: your nature is what you were born as. That link between birth and essence is why the nature and nurture debate is framed as it is — one term means inborn, the other means brought up.
- The physical world. *Back to nature.*
- Essential character. *Human nature.*
- A kind or sort. *Problems of this nature.*
- Second nature — an acquired habit. *It became second nature.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | nature | Wild nature. |
| Adjective | natural | A natural talent. |
| Adverb | naturally | Naturally occurring. |
| Noun | naturalist | A field naturalist. |
| Related | native | Native species. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Nature versus nurture.Inborn versus acquired.
- It is in his nature.Essential character.
- A naturalist studies nature.Not to be confused with a naturist.
Words from *nasci*, to be born
- Nature — what one is born as
- Native — born in a place
- Nascent — just coming into being
- Innate — inborn
- Renaissance — a rebirth
From Latin *natura*, birth or character, from *nasci*, to be born. The sense of the physical world developed later.
Naturalist or naturist?
A naturalist studies the natural world. A naturist practises nudism. The confusion is common and embarrassing.
What does nature versus nurture mean?
The debate over how far characteristics are inborn and how far shaped by environment. Modern research treats them as inseparable rather than opposed.