au naturel en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (General-American) audio
- /əʊ næt͡ʃʊˈɹɛl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌoʊ ˌnætəˈɹɛl/ (General-American)
- [-ɾə-] (General-American)
- /-t͡ʃə-/ (General-American)
- /-tjʊ-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French au naturel (“in the natural state; cooked plainly”), from au (“at the; in the; to the”) + naturel (“natural”) (ultimately borrowed from Latin nātūrālis (“of or relating to nature”), from nātūra (“natural world, nature”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship)). Nātūra is derived from nāscor (“to be born; to grow, spring forth”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget; to give birth; to produce”)) + -tūra (suffix forming action nouns denoting activities or their results).
Meanings
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(not-comparable) In a natural state; without any artificial change; natural; also, done in a way to appear natural. ▸ Of a person: not wearing makeup and with one's natural hair colour.
This is my au naturel look. How do you like it?
[A]t his age, people of his country have odd prejudices. He may not make up; and he might feel a little offended. To say the truth, I think it is au naturel. There is a grey tint under the eye, which I don't think that any modern colours could have produced—perfectly Ludovico, perfectly. If he do make up, I should like very much to know where he gets his colour: […]
1827, [Benjamin Disraeli], chapter XV, in Vivian Grey, volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, book V, page 303:With his [James David Vance's] old-fashioned views on gender roles, I imagine that it would take an act of God for him to even agree to be patted down with a powder puff to avoid shine on camera. It is my belief that he is au naturel.
2024 October 3, Katie Berohn, Kathleen Hou, quoting Troy Surratt, “But Really, is JD Vance Wearing Eyeliner?”, in Elle, New York, N.Y.: Hearst Magazine Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2026:
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(not-comparable) In a natural state; without any artificial change; natural; also, done in a way to appear natural. ▸ Of a person (especially a woman): having untrimmed pubic hair.
"There's nary a pubic hair in sight in most porn," wrote Cindy Gallop in Make Love Not Porn, "which puts a whole lot of grooming pressure on women and is actually rather depressing for those men who like women au naturel."
Cindy Gallop (2013), Make Love Not Porn: Technology’s Hardcore Impact on Human Behavior, New York, N.Y.: TED Conferences, →ISBNType "pubic hair" into a search engine and the suggested queries are extremely revealing: "pubic hair removal cream," […] The skin surrounding your vagina is extremely sensitive, and one of the main benefits of rocking your pubic hair au naturel is that it provides a fluffy cushion against harsh friction during sex, preventing painful chafing to your nether regions—ouch!
2022, Anna Lou Walker, “Anatomy of the Vagina”, in The Little Book of Vaginas: Everything You Need to Know, Lanham, Md.: Cleis Press, →ISBN:She prefers to keep her private parts au naturel.
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(not-comparable) Of food: prepared or served raw or very simply cooked.
[F]ew of the French travellers who have lately visited our Isle appear to have been much gratified with their trip. They in general speak with great contempt of our national partiality for roast beef and potatoes "au naturel."
1817 November, Un Vieux Celibataire [pseudonym], “Letters of an Old Bachelor. No. I.”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume II, number VIII, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, printers, →OCLC, page 192, column 2:
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(humorous, not-comparable, sometimes) Of a person: in a state of not wearing clothes; in the nude, naked.
And now here is Loola—Loola without the least pretension to education or good breeding, Loola au naturel with a musky redolence which, on second thought, has something really rather fascinating about it.
1948 August, Aldous Huxley, “The Script”, in Ape and Essence, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 82:Bella was au naturel for that photo session.
Synonyms
bare-assed · nip · skyclad · Billy bollocks · denuded · in the scud · in the altogether · naked · bare-ass · naked as the day one was born · scud · nakie · butt-stinking · clothesless · buck ass naked · barefoot all over · bollock naked · kaalgat · start naked · Harry starkers · in the buff · nudy rudy · in all one's glory · bollocky · clothingless · unclothed · stark naked · in the nuddy · nakers · nudie · without a stitch on · all-natural · unclad · in the pink · stark · wearing one's birthday suit · butt-naked · bare-bum · naked as a jaybird · in puris naturalibus · bare-bottomed · nekkid · stone naked · nakes · starkers · nude · bare-skinned · exposed · stark bollock naked · in the nude · mother-naked · au naturel · in one's birthday suit · bare naked · bareskin · scuddy · bare-butt · bare · buck naked · undressed · in the raw · nakey · in a state of nature · butt-ass naked
Translations (3)
fi ehostamaton (of a person: not wearing makeup and with one’s natural hair colour) · fi luonnollinen (done in a way to appear natural) · fi ajamaton (of a person (especially a woman): having untrimmed pubic hair)
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