Inborn vs. Natural — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Published on November 13, 2023
"Inborn" refers to traits or qualities present from birth, while "Natural" denotes something inherent or not man-made. Both suggest innate or original characteristics.
Difference Between Inborn and Natural
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Inborn" specifically refers to traits, characteristics, or qualities that an individual possesses from birth. Such traits are intrinsic and not acquired later in life. For instance, an inborn talent might manifest in early childhood, highlighting a predisposition or aptitude for a particular skill or ability. In comparison, "Natural" has a broader scope. While it can also refer to innate qualities, "Natural" primarily means something that hasn't been altered, affected by artificial means, or man-made.
In everyday speech, if someone has an "inborn" ability, it implies that they've had this ability since birth, without needing to learn or acquire it. Conversely, if something is "natural," it could mean it hasn't been tampered with or is in its original state. A "natural" landscape, for example, remains untouched by human intervention.
It's worth noting that "inborn" often relates more to living beings and their inherent traits, while "Natural" can describe both animate and inanimate subjects. A person might have an "inborn" ability to sing, whereas a "natural" mineral water indicates it comes directly from nature without additives.
To summarize, while both terms touch upon the inherent and original, "inborn" often relates to traits evident from birth, whereas "Natural" highlights the untouched or original state of something.
Comparison Chart
Primary Definition
Existing from birth
Existing in or derived from nature
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Common Usage
Often pertains to innate traits or talents
Can describe both inherent qualities and states
Relation to Living Beings
More frequently used
Used but not limited to
Relation to Alteration
Doesn't imply any alteration
Suggests lack of man-made intervention
Grammatical Role
Typically an adjective
Often an adjective but can also be a noun
Compare with Definitions
Inborn
Originating in or based on one's nature.
Her inborn kindness made her loved by all.
Natural
Existing in or derived from nature; not artificial.
The natural beauty of the mountains was breathtaking.
Inborn
Existing in a person or animal from birth.
Her inborn talent for music was evident from a young age.
Natural
Based on innate qualities rather than learned.
Her natural ability to lead made her an effective manager.
Inborn
Inherent; natural to someone.
His inborn curiosity led him to ask endless questions.
Natural
In accordance with nature; regular or expected.
It's natural for the leaves to change color in autumn.
Inborn
Not acquired or learned; instinctive.
Birds have an inborn ability to migrate.
Natural
Present in or produced by nature
A natural pearl.
Inborn
Constituting an essential characteristic.
The inborn drive to survive is seen in all species.
Natural
Of, relating to, or concerning nature
A natural environment.
Inborn
Existing naturally or by heredity rather than being learned through experience
"Flight is an inborn skill.
Young birds don't have to learn how" (Marie Read).
Natural
Conforming to the usual or ordinary course of nature
A natural death.
Inborn
Innate, possessed by an organism at birth.
Inborn talent
Inborn instincts
Natural
Not acquired; inherent
Love of power is natural to some people.
Inborn
Inherited or hereditary.
Natural
Having a particular character by nature
A natural leader.
Inborn
Born in or with; implanted by nature; innate; congenital; as, inborn passions.
Natural
(Biology) Not produced or changed artificially; not conditioned
Natural immunity.
A natural reflex.
Inborn
Normally existing at birth;
Mankind's connatural sense of the good
Natural
Characterized by spontaneity and freedom from artificiality, affectation, or inhibitions.
Inborn
Present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during fetal development
Natural
Not altered, treated, or disguised
Natural coloring.
Natural produce.
Natural
Faithfully representing nature or life.
Natural
Expected and accepted
“In Willie's mind marriage remained the natural and logical sequence to love” (Duff Cooper).
Natural
Established by moral certainty or conviction
Natural rights.
Natural
Being in a state regarded as primitive, uncivilized, or unregenerate.
Natural
Related genetically
The natural parents of the child.
Natural
Born to parents who have never been married to each other
The natural son of the king.
Natural
(Mathematics) Of or relating to positive integers, sometimes including zero.
Natural
Not sharped or flatted.
Natural
Having no sharps or flats.
Natural
Relating to hair that is allowed to remain in an unaltered state
“Many tweets also attacked double standards that exist regarding black women's hair. Wearing extensions and weaves can be seen as traitorous or insecure, while wearing hair in a natural or traditionally African-inspired style ... can result in mocking criticism” (Mary Emily O'Hara).
Natural
One having all the qualifications necessary for success
You are a natural for this job.
Natural
One suited by nature for a certain purpose or function
She is a natural at mathematics.
Natural
The sign (♮) placed before a note to cancel a preceding sharp or flat.
Natural
A note so affected.
Natural
A yellowish gray to pale orange yellow.
Natural
(Games) A combination in certain card and dice games that wins immediately.
Natural
Existing in nature.
Natural
Existing in the nature of a person or thing; innate, not acquired or learned.
Natural
Normally associated with a particular person or thing; inherently related to the nature of a thing or creature.
The species will be under threat if its natural habitat is destroyed.
Natural
As expected; reasonable, normal; naturally arising from the given circumstances.
It's natural for business to be slow on Tuesdays.
His prison sentence was the natural consequence of a life of crime.
Natural
Formed by nature; not manufactured or created by artificial processes.
Natural
Pertaining to death brought about by disease or old age, rather than by violence, accident etc.
She died of natural causes.
Natural
Having an innate ability to fill a given role or profession, or display a specified character.
Natural
(maths) Designating a standard trigonometric function of an angle, as opposed to the logarithmic function.
Natural
(music) Neither sharp nor flat. Denoted ♮.
There's a wrong note here: it should be C natural instead of C sharp.
Natural
Containing no artificial or man-made additives; especially (of food) containing no colourings, flavourings or preservatives.
Natural food is healthier than processed food.
Natural
Pertaining to a decoration that preserves or enhances the appearance of the original material; not stained or artificially coloured.
Natural
Pertaining to a fabric still in its undyed state, or to the colour of undyed fabric.
Natural
(dice) Pertaining to a dice roll before bonuses or penalties have been applied to the result.
Natural
(bodybuilding) Not having used anabolic steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.
Natural
(bridge) Bidding in an intuitive way that reflects one's actual hand.
Natural
(algebra) Closed under submodules, direct sums, and injective hulls.
Natural
Pertaining to birth or descent; native.
Natural
Having a given status (especially of authority) by virtue of birth.
Natural
Related genetically but not legally to one's father; born out of wedlock, illegitimate.
Natural
Related by birth; genetically related.
Natural
A native inhabitant of a place, country etc.
Natural
(music) A note that is not or is no longer to be modified by an accidental.
Natural
(music) The symbol ♮ used to indicate such a natural note.
Natural
One with an innate talent at or for something.
He's a natural on the saxophone.
Natural
An almost white colour, with tints of grey, yellow or brown; originally that of natural fabric.
Natural
(archaic) One with a simple mind; a fool or idiot.
Natural
One's life.
Natural
A hairstyle for people with Afro-textured hair in which the hair is not straightened or otherwise treated.
Natural
A breast which has not been modified.
Natural
Someone who has not used anabolic steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.
Natural
(craps) A roll of two dice with a score of 7 or 11 on the comeout roll.
Natural
Naturally; in a natural manner.
Natural
Fixed or determined by nature; pertaining to the constitution of a thing; belonging to native character; according to nature; essential; characteristic; innate; not artificial, foreign, assumed, put on, or acquired; as, the natural growth of animals or plants; the natural motion of a gravitating body; natural strength or disposition; the natural heat of the body; natural color.
With strong natural sense, and rare force of will.
Natural
Conformed to the order, laws, or actual facts, of nature; consonant to the methods of nature; according to the stated course of things, or in accordance with the laws which govern events, feelings, etc.; not exceptional or violent; legitimate; normal; regular; as, the natural consequence of crime; a natural death; anger is a natural response to insult.
What can be more natural than the circumstances in the behavior of those women who had lost their husbands on this fatal day?
Natural
Having to do with existing system to things; dealing with, or derived from, the creation, or the world of matter and mind, as known by man; within the scope of human reason or experience; not supernatural; as, a natural law; natural science; history, theology.
I call that natural religion which men might know . . . by the mere principles of reason, improved by consideration and experience, without the help of revelation.
Natural
Conformed to truth or reality
Natural
Having the character or sentiments properly belonging to one's position; not unnatural in feelings.
To leave his wife, to leave his babes, . . . He wants the natural touch.
Natural
Connected by the ties of consanguinity.
Natural
Begotten without the sanction of law; born out of wedlock; illegitimate; bastard; as, a natural child.
Natural
Of or pertaining to the lower or animal nature, as contrasted with the higher or moral powers, or that which is spiritual; being in a state of nature; unregenerate.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
Natural
Belonging to, to be taken in, or referred to, some system, in which the base is 1; - said of certain functions or numbers; as, natural numbers, those commencing at 1; natural sines, cosines, etc., those taken in arcs whose radii are 1.
Natural
Produced by natural organs, as those of the human throat, in distinction from instrumental music.
Natural
Existing in nature or created by the forces of nature, in contrast to production by man; not made, manufactured, or processed by humans; as, a natural ruby; a natural bridge; natural fibers; a deposit of natural calcium sulfate. Opposed to artificial, man-made, manufactured, processed and synthetic.
Natural
Not processed or refined; in the same statre as that existing in nature; as, natural wood; natural foods.
Natural
A native; an aboriginal.
Natural
Natural gifts, impulses, etc.
Natural
One born without the usual powers of reason or understanding; an idiot.
Natural
A character [
Natural
A person who has an innate talent that makes success in some specific endeavor, such as sports, much easier than for others; as, Pele was a natural in soccer.
Natural
Someone regarded as certain to succeed;
He's a natural for the job
Natural
A notation cancelling a previous sharp or flat
Natural
(craps) a first roll of 7 or 11 that immediately wins the stake
Natural
In accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature;
A very natural development
Our natural environment
Natural science
Natural resources
Natural cliffs
Natural phenomena
Natural
Existing in or produced by nature; not artificial or imitation;
A natural pearl
Natural gas
Natural silk
Natural blonde hair
A natural sweetener
Natural fertilizers
Natural
Existing in or in conformity with nature or the observable world; neither supernatural nor magical;
A perfectly natural explanation
Natural
Functioning or occurring in a normal way; lacking abnormalities or deficiencies;
It's the natural thing to happen
Natural immunity
A grandparent's natural affection for a grandchild
Natural
Of a key containing no sharps or flats;
B natural
C sharp
Natural
Unthinking; prompted by (or as if by) instinct;
A cat's natural aversion to water
Offering to help was as instinctive as breathing
Natural
(used especially of commodities) in the natural unprocessed condition;
Natural yogurt
Natural produce
Raw wool
Raw sugar
Bales of rude cotton
Natural
Related by blood; not adopted;
Natural parent
Natural
Being talented through inherited qualities;
A natural leader
A born musician
An innate talent
Natural
Unaffected and natural looking;
A lifelike pose
A natural reaction
Natural
Not affected; genuine.
He had a natural charm that made everyone feel at ease.
Natural
Free from artificial additives; pure.
She only used natural ingredients in her cooking.
Common Curiosities
Does "inborn" typically describe human traits?
Yes, "inborn" often describes human traits, but it can also refer to other living beings.
Can "natural" refer to a state or quality?
Yes, "natural" can describe both a state (natural environment) and a quality (natural talent).
Is "inborn" synonymous with "genetic"?
While both pertain to traits from birth, "inborn" is broader, whereas "genetic" specifically refers to genes.
Which term specifically indicates traits from birth: inborn or natural?
"Inborn" specifically indicates traits from birth.
Can "natural" be used as both a noun and an adjective?
Yes, "natural" can function as both, e.g., "a natural beauty" (adjective) or "she's a natural" (noun).
Does "inborn" imply any learned or acquired traits?
No, "inborn" refers to traits that are inherent and not acquired.
Is "inborn" commonly used to describe instincts?
Yes, instincts can be described as "inborn" since they are present from birth.
Does "natural" always indicate something positive?
No, "natural" just indicates something is from nature or inherent; it doesn't inherently imply positivity.
Can "natural" also mean not altered or man-made?
Yes, "natural" often denotes something not altered or man-made.
Can a talent be both "inborn" and "natural"?
Yes, a talent can be both inherent from birth ("inborn") and not learned or artificial ("natural").
Can "natural" refer to products or items?
Yes, "natural" often describes products, indicating they lack artificial additives or alterations.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
