LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

nātūra

nātūra f (genitive nātūrae)
Classical[naːˈtuː.ra]Ecclesiastical[naˈtuː.ra]
№ 180 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. the nature, quality, substance or essence of a thing
  2. character, temperament, inclination, disposition
  3. nature, the natural world
    Quibus enim nihil est in ipsīs opīs ad bene beātēque vīvendum, eīs omnis aetās gravis est; quī autem omnia bona ā sē ipsī petunt, eīs nihil malum potest vidērī quod nātūrae necessitās adferat.For those who possess no internal resources for a good and happy life, every stage of existence is a burden. However, for those who seek all blessings from within themselves, nothing that the necessity of nature brings can appear to be an evil.106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Cato Maior De Senectute 2.4
    Nātūra non facit saltūsNature does not make leaps.
  4. penis, organs of generation, the natural parts
    Apuleius, The Golden Ass, translated P.G. Walsh nec ūllum miserae refōrmātiōnis videō sōlācium, nisi quod mihi iam nequeuntī tenēre Photidem nātūra crēscēbat. The sole consolation I could see in this wretched transformation was the swelling of my penis - though now I could not embrace Photis.
  5. rarebirth

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quae omnia gignit et regit; nātūra rērum.
nātūra -ae f — in Mille Verba, ch. Vīta et Mors
nature
nātūra — in Seneca, ch. V

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Ingenium · Natura · Indoles

Ingenium and natura denote the disposition, as far as it constitutes the immovable ground of human individuality, and is susceptible of no change; ingenium, more with reference to the faculties of the mind, natura to the feelings of the heart; whereas indoles denotes the disposition, as far as it constitutes only the beginning of individuality, and is susceptible of improvement. (vi. 172.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativenātūranātūrae
genitivenātūraenātūrārum
dativenātūraenātūrīs
accusativenātūramnātūrās
ablativenātūrānātūrīs
vocativenātūranātūrae

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

natura loci
the natural position of a place.
naturae bona
natural advantages.
natura et ingenium
natural gifts.
caelum or natura caeli
climate.
rerum natura or simply natura
creation; nature.
natura proclivem esse ad vitia
to have a natural propensity to vice.
naturae bonitas (Off. 1. 32. 118)
innate goodness, kindness.
debitum naturae reddere (Nep. Reg. 1)
to die a natural death.
6 more phrases
se conferre ad naturae investigationem
to devote oneself to the study of a natural science.
loca, regiones, loci naturam explorare
to reconnoitre the ground.
oppidum natura loci munitum (B. G. 1. 38)
a town with a strong natural position.
natura in omnium animis notionem dei impressit (N. D. 1. 16. 43)
Nature has implanted in all men the idea of a God.
adversante et repugnante natura or invitā Minervā (ut aiunt) aliquid facere (Off. 1. 31. 110)
to do a thing which is not one's vocation, which goes against the grain.
natura et mores; vita moresque; indoles animi ingeniique; or simply ingenium, indoles, natura, mores
character.

nātūra, ae, f. nascor,
I. birth.
I. Lit. (very rare): naturā tu illi pater es, consiliis ego, Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 46; cf.: naturā pater, id. ib. 5, 7, 4.—
II. Transf. (freq. and class.; syn.: indoles, ingenium).
A. The nature, i. e. the natural constitution, property, or quality of a thing: quod autem animal est, id motu cietur interiore et suo: nam haec est natura propria animae et vis, Cic. Rep. 6, 26, 28: ipsumque per se sua vi, sua natura, sua sponte laudabile, id. Fin. 2, 15, 50: ab ipsa natura loci, id. Agr. 2, 35, 95: quali esset natura montis, qui cognoscerent misit, Caes. B. G. 1, 21: loci, id. ib. 1, 2: tigna secundum naturam fluminis procumberent, according to the nature or natural course of the river, Caes. B. G. 4, 17: insula naturā triquetra, by nature, i. e. in shape, id. ib. 5, 13: naturas apibus quas Juppiter ipse Addidit expediam, Verg. G. 4, 149.—
2. Of character, nature, natural disposition, inclination, bent, temper, character: cognitum per te ipsum, quae tua natura est, dignum tuā amicitiā judicabis, Cic. Fam. 13, 78, 2: prolixa beneficaque, id. ib. 3, 8, 8; Liv. 22, 59: mihi benefacere jam ex consuetudine in naturam vertit, has become natural, Sall. J. 85, 9.—Prov.: consuetudo est secunda natura, August. adv. Jul. 5, 59 fin.; Macr. S. 7, 9, 7; cf.: voluptatem consuetudine quasi alteram naturam effici, Cic. Fin. 5, 25, 74: naturam expellas furcā, tamen usque recurret, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 24: facere sibi naturam alicujus rei, to accustom one's self to a thing, Quint. 2, 4, 17: desideria naturae satiare, Cic. Fin. 2, 8, 25.—
B. The nature, course, or order of things: quod rerum natura non patitur, Cic. Ac. 2, 17, 55: delabi ad aequitatem et ad rerum naturam, id. Fam. 6, 10, 5: naturae satisfacere, i. e. to die, Cic. Clu. 10, 29; so, naturae concedere, Sall. J. 14, 15:—Personified: quis vero opifex praeter naturam, quā nihil potest esse callidius, tantam sollertiam persequi potuisset in sensibus? quae primum oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142: frui primis a natura datis, id. Fin. 2, 11, 34: homines rationem habent a naturā datam, id. ib. 2, 14, 45: et homini praecipui a naturā nihil datum esse dicemus, id. ib. 2, 33, 110: quae (membra corporum) ipsa declarant procreandi a naturā habitam esse rationem, id. ib. 3, 19, 62: omnis natura vult esse conservatrix sui, id. ib. 4, 7, 16; 5, 15, 41; 5, 20, 56: illam partem bene vivendi a natura petebant, eique parendum esse dicebant, id. Ac. 1, 5, 19.—
2. Nature, i. e. the world, the universe: Cleanthes totius naturae menti atque animo hoc nomen (dei) tribuit, Cic. N. D. 1, 14, 37.—
3. Nature, i. e. consistency with nature, possibility: in rerum naturā fuisse, Cic. Rab. Perd. 8, 24: hoc quoque in rerum naturam cadit, is a possible case, Quint. 2, 17, 32: judicatum est enim, rerum naturam non recipere, ut, etc., that it is not in accordance with nature, not possible, Val. Max. 8, 1, abs. 13:—
C. An element, thing, substance: Aristoteles quin tam quandam naturam censet esse, e qua sit mens, Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 22: de naturis autem sic sentiebat; primum uti quattuor initiis rerum illis quintam hanc naturam ... non adhiberet, etc., id. Ac. 1, 11, 39: natura tenuis aëris, Lucr. 2, 232.—
D. The natural parts, organs of generation: cujus (Mercurii) obscenius excitata natura traditur, Cic. N. D. 3, 22, 55: quaedam matrona visa est in quiete obsignatam habere naturam, id. Div. 2, 70, 145; cf. Varr. R. R. 3, 12, 4; 2, 7, 8.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵn̥h₁-sḱé-ti
  3. Latinnātūra

Proto-Italic *gnāskōrder. Latin nāscor Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? Latin -tūra Latin nātūra From nāscor (“be born”) + -tūra.

Descendants
  • Catalannatura
  • Italiannatura
  • Occitannatura
  • Frenchnaturefrom Old French nature
  • Englishnaturefrom Old French nature
  • Spanishnaturafrom Old Spanish natura
  • Portuguesenatura
  • Romaniannatură
  • Romanshnadüra
  • Romanshnadira

In English words that came into English from nātūra

  • naturenātūra
  • naturalnātūrālis
  • supernaturalsupernātūrālis
  • preternaturalprēternātūrālis
  • naturalitynātūrālitās

Quick answers

What does nātūra mean in Latin?
nātūra, a noun, means “the nature, quality, substance or essence of a thing; character, temperament, inclination, disposition; nature, the natural world”.
What is the genitive of nātūra?
The genitive singular is nātūrae. nātūra is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce nātūra?
In classical Latin, [naːˈtuː.ra]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [naˈtuː.ra].
Where does nātūra come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- → Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₁-sḱé-ti → Latin nātūra.
Which English words come from nātūra?
English words that go back to Latin nātūra include nature, natural, supernatural, preternatural and naturality.