naturally

naturally — adverb

1. happening or existing in the physical world of plants, animals, rocks, and weath

1.adverbB1
Definition

happening or existing in the physical world of plants, animals, rocks, and weather, without being created, changed, or added to by people

Example

The cave was formed naturally over thousands of years by flowing water.

Honey is a naturally sweet food that needs no added sugar.

naturally + adjective describing inherent quality

Common collocations
  • occur naturally
  • form naturally
  • grow naturally
  • exist naturally
  • naturally sweet
  • naturally clear
Synonyms
  • by nature

    equivalent phrase, interchangeable most of the time

  • organically

    specifically about food or materials grown without chemicals

Antonyms
  • artificially

    made or created by people rather than occurring in nature

Grammar Patterns

verb + naturally

naturally + adjective

Usage Note

Often appears before adjectives (naturally sweet, naturally clear) or after verbs of existence (occur naturally, form naturally, exist naturally).

Common Mistakes

This drink is naturally sugar.
This drink is naturally sweet.
Naturally is an adverb, so it must modify an adjective or verb, not a noun.

2. used about a quality or skill that has been part of a person's character since t

2.adverbB1
Definition

used about a quality or skill that has been part of a person's character since they were born, rather than one they developed later

Example

Elena is naturally shy and takes time to warm up to new people.

naturally + adjective describing personality

Tuan was naturally good at mathematics from a very young age.

Common collocations
  • naturally shy
  • naturally curious
  • naturally gifted
  • naturally confident
  • naturally good at
Synonyms
  • innately

    more formal; used especially for deep character traits

  • by nature

    equivalent phrase, interchangeable in most contexts

  • born

    used in the pattern 'born + adjective' (born shy, born curious)

Antonyms
  • acquired

    learned or developed through effort rather than present from birth

Grammar Patterns

naturally + adjective

Usage Note

The adjective that follows usually describes a personality trait (shy, confident, curious) or a talent (gifted, talented, good at something). Not used with physical states that change — you would not say *naturally hungry* or *naturally tired*.

Common Mistakes

She naturally sings beautifully.' (ambiguous — could be sense 1 or 5).
She is a naturally gifted singer.
To clearly express innate ability, place naturally before an adjective (gifted) rather than directly before an action verb.

3. used to describe a skill or activity that someone can do very well without much

3.adverbB1
Definition

used to describe a skill or activity that someone can do very well without much effort, as if they were born with the ability for it

Example

Swimming came naturally to Reema the first time she tried it.

come naturally to + person — skill is subject

Playing piano by ear comes naturally to Min without any formal lessons.

Common collocations
  • come naturally to
  • comes naturally
  • came naturally
Synonyms
  • effortlessly

    adverb meaning without effort, but does not require the 'come' pattern

  • easily

    simpler word; 'do easily' replaces the entire construction

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

come naturally to + noun

Usage Note

The only grammatical pattern is 'come naturally to [someone]', where the subject is the skill or activity and the object of 'to' is the person. Never transfer this pattern to other verbs: *Swim naturally to her* is incorrect unless you intend sense 1 or 5.

Common Mistakes

Piano plays naturally to me.
Playing the piano comes naturally to me.
The skill is the subject of 'come', not the object of a different verb.
She naturally swims.' (ambiguous — reads as sense 1 or 5).
Swimming comes naturally to her.
Use the 'come naturally to' pattern for this sense.

4. used to say that something is not surprising because it is the normal or logical

4.adverbB1
Definition

used to say that something is not surprising because it is the normal or logical result of the situation being described

Example

Naturally, the children were very excited about the trip to the zoo.

sentence adverb at clause start: Naturally, + clause

When Tuan offered to help, his mother naturally accepted right away.

mid-sentence: subject + naturally + verb

Common collocations
  • naturally enough
  • quite naturally
Synonyms
  • of course

    stronger and more informal; implies the outcome is obvious, not just expected

  • obviously

    emphasises visible or undeniable evidence

  • understandably

    focuses on the emotional or logical reasons behind a reaction

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

Naturally, + clause

subject + naturally + verb

Usage Note

As a sentence adverb, naturally signals that the speaker regards the outcome as predictable given the circumstances. It can appear at the start of a clause (Naturally, she was upset), inserted after the subject (she naturally said yes), or after a dash or comma near the end of a sentence.

Common Mistakes

Naturally he is a doctor.' (sounds odd as a stand-alone statement).
Naturally, he became a doctor
both of his parents were doctors.' — This sense works best when the context makes the expectation clear.

5. in a relaxed, ordinary way that does not feel forced, fake, or designed to impre

5.adverbB1
Definition

in a relaxed, ordinary way that does not feel forced, fake, or designed to impress other people

Example

Just act naturally during the interview and tell them about your skills.

common collocation: act naturally

The children played naturally in the garden without any arguments or tears.

Common collocations
  • act naturally
  • behave naturally
  • smile naturally
  • flow naturally
  • speak naturally
Synonyms
  • normally

    closest synonym; interchangeable in most contexts

  • unaffectedly

    more formal; describes behaviour free from pretence

  • casually

    overlaps in meaning but emphasises informality rather than genuineness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + naturally

Usage Note

Commonly follows verbs of behaviour (act, behave) or appearance (smile, walk, speak). Describes a manner that is genuine and unaffected, in contrast to acting in a forced or artificial way.

Idioms

come naturally (to somebody/something)

idiom

If a skill or activity comes naturally to you, you can do it easily without much effort.

Playing the piano came naturally to Maya when she was young.

Does public speaking come naturally to your brother Diego?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/4

'Naturally', 'of course', 'obviously', 'understandably', and 'inevitably' all signal that something is expected or predictable, but each frames the expectation differently. 'Naturally' suggests the outcome follows the normal course of events — what a reasonable person would expect. 'Of course' is stronger and more informal, implying the point is so obvious it barely needs stating; overusing it can sound dismissive. 'Obviously' points to visible or undeniable evidence and is often used when the speaker believes the listener should already know the fact. 'Understandably' focuses on the emotional or logical reasons behind a person's reaction — it justifies rather than simply predicts. 'Inevitably' carries a fatalistic tone: the outcome was unavoidable no matter what anyone wanted. For example: 'Naturally, the eldest child took charge' suggests a normal family dynamic; 'Understandably, she was upset' explains her feelings; 'Inevitably, the project ran over budget' implies nothing could have prevented it.

naturally ↗of course ↗obviously ↗understandably ↗inevitably ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • naturally enough

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

'Naturally' comes from the Latin word 'naturalis', meaning 'by birth, according to nature'. It entered English through Old French 'naturel', and the suffix '-ly' was added to form the adverb. The word has been used in English since the 14th century. The sentence-adverb meaning (used for 'of course' or 'as one would expect') developed around the 16th century as a natural extension of the idea that something follows from the nature of things.