natürlichheid

Natürlichheid is a concept used in Dutch- and Germanic-language contexts to denote the quality or state of being natural, authentic, or free from artificial alteration. It covers how closely something corresponds to ordinary experience, plausible realism, or unforced behavior, and it can apply to appearances, actions, representations in media, and language.

The term is formed from natuurlijk (natural) plus a suffix that marks a state or quality (heid in Dutch; -keit or -theit in German). The German equivalent is Natürlichkeit, while Dutch speakers may use natuurlijkheid. Although they share the same core idea, the exact connotations and preferred usages vary by language and disciplinary tradition.

In philosophy and aesthetics, naturalness is discussed as a criterion of authenticity and plausibility, distinguishing naturalistic representation from stylized or contrived forms. In linguistics and communication, naturalness relates to fluency, predictability, and alignment with listeners’ expectations. In design and human–computer interaction, naturalness guides the creation of interfaces and processes that feel intuitive and easy to use. In media and visual arts, naturalness concerns lighting, posing, and editing choices that preserve a sense of real-world appearance. In science, the term can be used non-technically to refer to conformity with ordinary experience; in physics, naturalness is also used to describe a separate idea about the absence of fine-tuning, which is a different concept.

Critics warn that standards of naturalness are culturally contingent and may constrain innovation or diverse expression. As with many evaluative notions, the value of naturalness depends on context, purpose, and audience. Related concepts include authenticity, realism, and plausibility, with cross-language variants such as Natürlichkeit and natuurlijkheid.