Meaning of nature in English

Table of contents

Noun
nature
Etymology
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
Definitions
1. the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
Examples
- « it is the nature of fire to burn »
- « the true nature of jealousy »
2. a causal agent creating and controlling things in the universe
Examples
- « the laws of nature »
- « nature has seen to it that men are stronger than women »
3. the natural physical world including plants and animals and landscapes etc.
Examples
- « they tried to preserve nature as they found it »
4. the complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions
Examples
- « it is his nature to help others »
5. a particular type of thing
Examples
- « problems of this type are very difficult to solve »
- « he's interested in trains and things of that nature »
- « matters of a personal nature »

Famous quotes

« Man seeks to change the foods available in nature to suit his tastes, thereby putting an end to the very essence of life contained in them. »
Sai Baba
« I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image. »
Stephen Hawking
« Happiness or satisfaction consists only in the enjoyment of those objects which are by nature suited to our several particular appetites, passions, and affections. »
Joseph Butler
« Man's nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been know to yield to the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature. »
Mahatma Gandhi
« No phenomenon can be isolated, but has repercussions through every aspect of our lives. We are learning that we are a fundamental part of nature's ecosystems. »
Arthur Erickson