Nature People Extra Examples Things Found Forces World

• take time to appreciate the beauties of nature.
• man-made substances not found in nature
• a lot of nature conservation is about protecting habitats.
• the forces of nature are constantly reshaping our world.

nature

Word Family

• nature noun
• natural adjective (≠ unnatural)
• naturally adverb (≠ unnaturally)
1. all the plants, animals and things that exist in the universe that are not made by people
• Take time to appreciate the beauties of nature.
• man-made substances not found in nature
• A lot of nature conservation is about protecting habitats.

Extra Examples

• He believed in spending half an hour each day to relax and commune with nature.
• His love of nature was expressed through his wildlife paintings.
• It's highly unlikely that this mound was produced by nature.
• We appreciate beauty in nature.
• people who live in the country and are close to nature
• White phosphorus is so reactive that it is not found in nature.
2. the way that things happen in the physical world when it is not controlled by people
• SEE ALSO Mother Nature
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/mother-nature
• The forces of nature are constantly reshaping our world.
• It is impossible to change the laws of nature.
• Her illness was Nature's way of telling her to do less.
• Is genius the result of nature or nurture?

Extra Examples

• It seemed against the laws of nature that such a creature could even exist.
• Nature had endowed her with exceptional vitality.
• Nature remains indifferent to human crises.
3. the usual way that a person or an animal behaves that is part of their character
• SEE ALSO good nature
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/good-nature
• She is very sensitive by nature.
• It's not in his nature to be unkind.
• It was against her nature to tell lies.
• We appealed to his better nature (= his kindness).

Extra Examples

• It's not in his nature to complain.
• He had a vicious side to his nature.
• He has an inquisitive nature.
• He's not by nature an inquisitive person.
• People are always taking advantage of her good nature.
• There was no point appealing to her better nature.
• the expressive part of his nature
4. the basic qualities of a thing
• the changing nature of society
• It's difficult to define the exact nature of the problem.
• His work explores the nature of the mother-child relationship.
• My work is very specialized in nature.
• The future by its very nature is uncertain.

Extra Examples

• The film reflects the fickle nature of love and how relationships lose their charm.
• Despite the serious nature of his wounds, he stood up and walked.
• Are you aware of the nature of the risks involved?
• Because of the detailed nature of the work, I have to use a very fine brush.
• By its very nature a secret service is not open to public inspection.
• Given the nature of this matter, I am inclined to think it should be managed by you personally.
• His theory provides a remarkable insight into the nature of the British constitution.
• I'm not clear about the exact nature of their relationship.
• The Buddhist goal is to realize the true nature of the world.
• The gentle lower slopes belie the true nature of the mountain.
• The method employed will depend on the nature of the task.
• The parties would not reveal the exact nature of the dispute.
• The victim has not been identified because of the sensitive nature of the case.
• Their strategy was essentially political in nature.
• This new information does not change the nature of our findings.
• We need to understand the true extent and nature of the problem.
• a debate concerning the nature of violence
• the dual nature of man as a physical and spiritual being
• the subjective nature of an odour
• the unsatisfactory nature of the meeting
5. a type or kind of something
• His books were mainly of a scientific nature.
• Don't worry about things of that nature.

Extra Examples

• Decisions of this nature often take a long time.
• matters of a routine nature
• Their problems are of an economic nature.
• The legal concept of insanity is of a different nature from the medical.
• They define sexual harassment as unwanted conduct of a sexual nature.
• the international nature of the business
6. having the type of character or quality mentioned
• a good-natured man
7. not natural; not moral
• Murder is a crime against nature.
8. (to return to) a simple kind of life in the country, away from cities
• When you’re camping, you can get back to nature.
• We built our house in the country because we wanted to get back to nature.
9. the need to go to the toilet
10. a person with a very strong personality who is full of energy, very determined and difficult for others to resist
• Gerard is a force of nature, continually pursuing his target when everyone else is ready to give up.
11. the power of the wind, rain, etc., especially when it causes damage or harm
• They were fighting a losing battle against the forces of nature.
12. similar to something; a type of something; in the style of something
• His speech was in the nature of an apology.
13. in the way that things usually happen
• In the nature of things, young people often rebel against their parents.
14. to allow natural processes to happen, without trying to stop or change them (used especially in the context of illness)
• The midwife must judge when to let nature take its course and when to intervene.
• When the dog responded so badly to the treatment, we decided to let nature take its course.

Word Origin

• Middle English (denoting the physical power of a person): from Old French, from Latin natura ‘birth, nature, quality’, from nat- ‘born’, from the verb nasci.