au naturel

au na·tur·el
UK/əʊ næt͡ʃʊˈɹɛl/UK/-tjʊ-/US/ˌoʊ ˌnætəˈɹɛl/US[-ɾə-]

adjective

Of a person: not wearing makeup and with one's natural hair colour.

“Bella was au naturel for that photo session.”

Similar
all-naturalbarebare-assbare-assedbare-bottomedbare-bumbare-buttbarefoot all over
OriginFrench au naturel ← Latin nātūrālis ← Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- →
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Meanings

adjectiveau naturel (not comparable)
  1. In a natural state; without any artificial change; natural; also, done in a way to appear natural.
    1. not comparableOf a person: not wearing makeup and with one's natural hair colour.

      This is my au naturel look. How do you like it?

      2 more examples

      [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

      Synonyms: all-natural

    2. not comparableOf a person (especially a woman): having untrimmed pubic hair.

      She prefers to keep her private parts au naturel.

      2 more examples

      "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, →ISBN

      Type "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
  2. not comparableOf 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
  3. humorousnot comparablesometimesOf a person: in a state of not wearing clothes; in the nude, naked.

    Bella was au naturel for that photo session.

    1 more example

    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

    Synonyms: bare, bare-ass, bare-assed, bare-bottomed, bare-bum, bare-butt, barefoot all over, bare naked

adverbau naturel (not comparable)
  1. In a natural state; without any artificial change; naturally; also, in a way to appear natural.
    1. not comparableOf the action of a person: in a manner without makeup and with one's natural hair colour.

      Well, few of us are blessed with flawless complexions such as yours, so if you want to go au naturel, that's fine by me.

      2013, Laura Lascarso, Counting Backwards, New York, N.Y.: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, →ISBN, page 134
      1 more example

      Why did some women eschew makeup? It seemed to be a recent trend for her. Had her religious fiancé requested she go au naturel?

      2014 October, Daryl Wood Gerber, Stirring the Plot, mass-market edition, New York, N.Y.: Berkley Prime Crime, →ISBN, page 121
    2. not comparableOf the action of a person (especially a woman): in a manner with untrimmed pubic hair.
  2. not comparableOf the preparation or serving of food: in a raw or very simply cooked manner.

    Our chef insists on preparing this cut au naturel.

  3. humorousnot comparablesometimesOf the action of a person: in a naked manner; without clothes; in the nude, nakedly.

    Bella loved posing au naturel for the artist.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf a person: not wearing makeup and with one's natural hair colour.

Similar
all-natural

adjectiveOf a person: in a state of not wearing clothes; in the nude, naked.

Similar
barebare-assbare-assedbare-bottomedbare-bumbare-buttbarefoot all overbare nakedbareskinbare-skinnedBilly bollocksbollock nakedbollockybuck ass nakedbuck nakedbutt-ass nakedbutt-nakedbutt-stinkingclothesless

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivehaving no clothes on the body

Similar
barenakednudeunclothed
Also see
all-naturalbarein the nudenakednudeunclothed

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-“to beget; to give birth; to produce”
  2. Latinnātūrālis“of or relating to nature”
  3. Frenchau naturel“in the natural state; cooked plainly”
  4. Englishau naturel

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).

More words from French, Latin, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish ehostamaton, ajamaton
  • ehostamatonof a person: not wearing makeup and with one’s natural hair colour
  • ajamatonof a person (especially a woman): having untrimmed pubic hair
  • luonnollinendone in a way to appear natural
  • ehostamattomastiof the action of a person: in a manner without makeup and with one’s natural hair colour
  • ajamattomastiof the action of a person (especially a woman): in a manner with untrimmed pubic hair
  • kypsentämättömänäof the preparation or serving of food: in a raw or very simply cooked manner
  • luonnollisestiin a way to appear natural

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with au naturel

wellhotellsellcelltelleldelpersonneldellNFLshellfellexcelMichellegeldlmotelspellsmellrebelbellemelmichel
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

au naturel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/au%20naturel

MLA

“au naturel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/au%20naturel. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “au naturel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/au%20naturel.

Source: au naturel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.