Definition of: naturalism

(nach′ər·əl·iz′əm) noun
1. Action or thought derived from or identified with exclusively natural desires and instincts.
2. In literature, art, etc.: a Adherence to observed nature; specifically, the principles of Zola, de Maupassant, and others who attempted to apply “scientific” objectivity to their treatment of life, without imposing judgments of value or avoiding what is considered ugly. b The qualities of a work of art resulting from such doctrines.
3. Philos. The doctrine that phenomena are derived from natural causes and can be explained by scientific laws: opposed to supernaturalism.
4. Theol. The doctrine that religion does not depend on supernatural revelation, but may be derived from the natural world.