| nativism |
the practice that favors and preserves the interests of natives over those of more recent settlers. |
| nativity |
circumstances or place of being born; birth. [2 definitions] |
| NATO |
abbreviation of "North Atlantic Treaty Organization." |
| natty |
(informal) neat, well-groomed, and smartly dressed; dapper. |
| natural |
of, pertaining to, produced by, or existing in nature. [9 definitions] |
| natural-born citizen |
a person born in the United States or on foreign soil to two parents who are American citizens. Being a natural-born citizen is a requirement for becoming a U.S. president. |
| natural childbirth |
childbirth undergone without anesthesia or surgical aid, in preparation for which the expectant mother has often received instruction in the management of pain through breathing and relaxation exercises. |
| natural disaster |
a disaster, such as an earthquake, flood, or volcanic eruption, that is caused by natural rather than human forces and which destroys life and property. |
| natural gas |
a mixture of hydrocarbon gases occurring naturally in the earth's crust, usu. with petroleum deposits, that is used chiefly for fuel. |
| natural history |
the study of botany, zoology, geology, and other sciences that deal with objects in nature or the physical world. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. [3 definitions] |
| naturalist |
a person who has expertise in or is devoted to the study of the natural sciences, esp. botany and zoology. [2 definitions] |
| naturalistic |
exhibiting or pertaining to naturalism. [2 definitions] |
| naturalization |
the act, on the part of a government, of granting full citizenship to a foreign-born person. [2 definitions] |
| naturalize |
to confer citizenship on. [4 definitions] |
| natural law |
a law or body of laws considered to be inherent in nature, right reason, or religion, and believed to be morally binding on human actions. [2 definitions] |
| naturally |
in accordance with nature and not through a man-made process. [4 definitions] |
| natural number |
any positive integer or zero. |
| natural philosophy |
see "natural science." [2 definitions] |
| natural resource |
a source of economic wealth and prosperity that derives from nature, such as fresh water, mineral deposits, timber, wildlife, and park land. |
| natural rights |
basic rights, such as life and liberty, that are considered inherent rights of all human beings. |