Meanings
let nature take its course1
present singular third person lets nature take its course · participle present letting nature take its course · alternative let nature take her course · alternative let Nature take its course
- idiomaticTo permit events to proceed or a situation to develop without intervention or interference.
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 Travels1 more example
"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 - euphemisticidiomaticTo allow a person or animal to die without medical or other attempts to forestall death.
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 20101 more example
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 145Synonyms: stand aside
let Nature take its course2
present singular third person lets Nature take its course · participle present letting Nature take its course
- alternativeAlternative form of let nature take its course.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo allow a person or animal to die without medical or other attempts to forestall death.
Translations
Chinese Cantonese 順其自然 /顺其自然
- 順其自然 /顺其自然 (seon⁶ kei⁴ zi⁶ jin⁴)permit events to proceed without intervention
Chinese Mandarin 順其自然 /顺其自然
- 順其自然 /顺其自然 (shùnqízìrán)permit events to proceed without intervention
Finnish antaa asioiden mennä luonnollista latuaan
- antaa asioiden mennä luonnollista latuaanpermit events to proceed without intervention
French laisser la nature suivre son cours
- laisser la nature suivre son courspermit events to proceed without intervention
Hungarian hagyja, hogy a természet tegye a dolgát, rábízza a természetre
- hagyja, hogy a természet tegye a dolgátpermit events to proceed without intervention
- rábízza a természetrepermit events to proceed without intervention
Norwegian Bokmål la naturen gå sin gang
- la naturen gå sin gangpermit events to proceed without intervention
Turkish su yolunu bulur
- su yolunu bulurpermit events to proceed without intervention
Cite this entry
let nature take its course. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20nature%20take%20its%20course
“let nature take its course.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20nature%20take%20its%20course. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “let nature take its course,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/let%20nature%20take%20its%20course.
Source: let nature take its course on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.