1. (philosophy) the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms without recourse to spiritual or supernatural explanations
   "The biologist's naturalism led her to seek evolutionary explanations for animal behaviour"
    
2. An artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description
   "Zola's novels exemplified the naturalism movement in literature";
   - realism

Derived forms: naturalisms

Type of: art movement, artistic movement, philosophical doctrine, philosophical theory

Encyclopedia: Naturalism