nature

Pronunciation: /ˈneɪ̯.t͡ʃəɹ/

Reading level: easy

Estimated CEFR level: A1 — Beginner

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
  2. noun a causal agent creating and controlling things in the universe
  3. noun the natural physical world including plants and animals and landscapes etc.

Etymology

From Middle English nature, natur, from Old French nature, from Latin nātūra (“birth, origin, natural constitution or quality”), future participle from perfect passive participle (g)natus (“born”), from deponent verb (g)nasci (“to be born, originate”) + future participle suffix -urus. Displaced native Middle English erd (“character, nature, disposition”) from Old English eard (compare German Art (“nature, character, kind, type”)); and Middle English kynde (“character, disposition, nature”) from Old English ġecynd. More at kind.

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
quality

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