nature

9 definitions • 18 examples

all the animals, plants, rocks, etc. in the world and all the features, forces, and processes that happen or exist independently of people, such as the weather, the sea, mountains, the production of young animals or plants, and growth:

her love of nature

This new technique of artificially growing cells copies what actually happens in nature.

a nature article/book/programme

the force that is responsible for physical life and that is sometimes spoken of as a person:

Feeling tired-out is Nature's way of telling you to rest.

Nature gave these tiny creatures the ability to reproduce quickly when food is abundant.

the type or main characteristic of something:

What was the nature of his inquiry?

Motor-racing is by nature a dangerous sport.

to be usual and expected:

There are problems in every relationship - it's in the nature of things.

a person's character:

As a child, Juliana had a very sensitive nature.

[ + to infinitive ] It's not really in her nature to be aggressive.

He is by nature inclined to be lazy.

all the animals and plants in the world and all the features, forces, and processes that exist or happen independently of people, such as the weather, the sea, mountains, reproduction, and growth:

As a young man he loved hiking and being close to nature.

This technique of growing cells copies what actually happens in nature.

The force that is responsible for physical life is often called nature, and is sometimes spoken of as a person:

Feeling stressed is Nature’s way of telling you to relax.

the type or main characteristic (of something):

[ U ] The problem is delicate in nature.

[ C ] Nothing of a secret nature can happen in that household.

the character of a person, or the characteristics a person is born with:

[ C ] She’s always had a sunny nature.

[ U ] She is by nature a gentle soul.