Unnaturally

Unnaturally

Adverb · /ʌnˈnætʃərəli/ · in a way that is contrary to nature; to a degree that seems wrong or excessive

Definition

Unnaturally is an adverb formed from the adjective unnatural by adding the suffix -ly. Where unnatural describes a thing, unnaturally describes how something happens or how something appears. The room was unnaturally quiet. She smiled unnaturally. The sky darkened unnaturally fast. In each case, the adverb signals that the manner or degree exceeds or violates what nature or expectation would normally produce. The word does double duty: it measures and it unsettles.

Origin

Unnaturally inherits the etymology of unnatural — from the Latin naturalis, meaning relating to nature or innate order. Adding -ly converts the adjective into an adverb of manner, shifting the word's grammatical function from describing a state to describing the way something is done or the degree to which something occurs. The adverb carries the same moral and perceptual force as the adjective: unnaturally cold does not merely measure temperature, it implies the cold exceeds what the world should produce.