naturalist
/'nætʃərəlist/
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who studies or is an expert in natural history: A naturalist is someone who has deep knowledge of living organisms and their environments, typically through direct observation and fieldwork, with specializations often in botany (plants) and zoology (animals).
- An adherent of naturalism: A naturalist is an advocate of the philosophical doctrine that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and that the world can be understood through scientific methods without recourse to spiritual or supernatural explanations.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Charles Darwin was a famous naturalist who studied the diversity of life on the Galapagos Islands.
- The museum's exhibit was curated by a leading naturalist with decades of field experience.
- As a naturalist, she argued that all phenomena, including human consciousness, should be explained by science.
Advanced Usage
"A naturalist's eye": The keen, observant perspective characteristic of a student of nature.
- He described the forest with a naturalist's eye, noting every species of bird and insect.
"Philosophical naturalist": Specifies someone who adheres to naturalism as a worldview.
- The philosopher was a committed philosophical naturalist, rejecting any form of dualism.
Variants and Related Words
Naturalism (n): The philosophical or artistic theory that represents or explains the world through natural forces and laws.
- The novel is a masterpiece of literary naturalism, depicting life with scientific detachment.
Naturalistic (adj): Based on the study of natural history; or, in art/philosophy, closely imitating or derived from nature.
- Her paintings have a naturalistic style, capturing every detail of the landscape.
Synonyms
- Biologist: A scientist who studies living organisms.
- Ecologist: A scientist who studies the relationships between organisms and their environment.
- Scientist: A person engaged in systematic study of the physical and natural world.
Related Phrases
- Field naturalist: A naturalist who primarily works outdoors, observing organisms in their native habitats.
- The field naturalist spent weeks in the rainforest documenting primate behavior.
Related Idioms
- "A child of nature": While not containing the word "naturalist," this idiom describes someone who feels a deep, innate connection to the natural world, akin to a naturalist's passion.
- She was a true child of nature, most at home in the mountains.
Noun
-
a biologist knowledgeable about natural history (especially botany and zoology)
-
an advocate of the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ gần giống
Từ chứa "naturalist"
