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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

let nature take its course en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) To permit events to proceed or a situation to develop without intervention or interference.
    • "Do you mean to put a secret-service operative aboard disguised as a deckhand?" "Huh! Skinner, you distress me. I'm going to put Matt Peasley aboard the Quickstep as second mate, and let Nature take its course." 1916, Peter B. Kyne, chapter 27, in Cappy Ricks:
    • A boat trip to St. Joe! I and the Missus and the two love birds. And I'd see to it that the chaperons kept their distance and let Nature take its course. 1917, Ring Lardner, Sr., “The Water Cure”, in Gullible's Travels:
  2. (euphemistic, idiomatic) To allow a person or animal to die without medical or other attempts to forestall death.
    • I have slashed veins in my ankles and am pleasantly bleeding to death in this hot water. There is no greater kindness you can do me than to let nature take its course. 1984, Piers Anthony, On A Pale Horse, →ISBN, page 145:
    • Her life is not worth living, people say; see, she is dependent on others even for food and water; let nature take its course. 2005 March 27, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, “If God died for all of us, it is not ours to decide who is fit to live”, in telegraph.co.uk, retrieved 02 Sep 2010:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
let Nature take its course alternative lexicographic
lets nature take its course Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
let nature take its course Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
let nature take its course Tense=Past lexicographic
letting nature take its course Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
let nature take her course alternative lexicographic

Relateds

let sleeping dogs lie · benign neglect

Synonyms

stand aside

Translations (8)

cmn 順其自然 /顺其自然 (permit events to proceed without intervention) · hu hagyja, hogy a természet tegye a dolgát (permit events to proceed without intervention) · hu rábízza a természetre (permit events to proceed without intervention) · fi antaa asioiden mennä luonnollista latuaan (permit events to proceed without intervention) · fr laisser la nature suivre son cours (permit events to proceed without intervention) · tr su yolunu bulur (permit events to proceed without intervention) · nb la naturen gå sin gang (permit events to proceed without intervention) · yue 順其自然 /顺其自然 (permit events to proceed without intervention)