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natural science

/ˌˈnætʃərəl ˌsaɪəns/
/ˈnætʃrəl ˈsaɪəns/
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Other forms: natural sciences

Definitions of natural science
  1. noun
    the sciences involved in the study of the physical world and its phenomena
    synonyms: science
    see moresee less
    types:
    bioscience, life science
    any of the branches of natural science dealing with the structure and behavior of living organisms
    chemical science, chemistry
    the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions
    natural philosophy, physics
    the science of matter and energy and their interactions
    physical science, physics
    the physical properties, phenomena, and laws of something
    earth science
    any of the sciences that deal with the earth or its parts
    cosmography
    the science that maps the general features of the universe; describes both heaven and earth (but without encroaching on geography or astronomy)
    biological science, biology
    the science that studies living organisms
    biomedical science
    the application of the principles of the natural sciences to medicine
    biometrics, biometry, biostatistics
    a branch of biology that studies biological phenomena and observations by means of statistical analysis
    craniology
    the scientific study of the skulls of various human races
    dermatoglyphics
    the study of the whorls and loops and arches in the fingertips and on the palms of the hand and the soles of the feet
    dietetics
    the scientific study of food preparation and intake
    eugenics
    the study or promotion of methods of selecting for specific genetic qualities by controlled breeding (especially as applied to human reproduction); now widely considered to be biased and unscientific
    cacogenics, dysgenics
    the study of the operation of factors causing degeneration in the type of offspring produced
    euthenics
    the study of methods of improving human well-being and efficient functioning by improving environmental conditions
    medical science
    the science of dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention and treatment of disease
    chemoimmunology, immunochemistry
    the field of chemistry concerned with chemical processes in immunology (such as chemical studies of antigens and antibodies)
    fossilology, palaeontology, paleontology
    the earth science that studies fossil organisms and related remains
    organic chemistry
    the chemistry of compounds containing carbon (originally defined as the chemistry of substances produced by living organisms but now extended to substances synthesized artificially)
    inorganic chemistry
    the chemistry of compounds that do not contain hydrocarbon radicals
    physical chemistry
    the branch of chemistry dealing with the physical properties of chemical substances
    electrochemistry
    branch of chemistry that deals with the chemical action of electricity and the production of electricity by chemical reactions
    femtochemistry
    the branch of chemistry that studies elementary (often very fast) chemical reactions as they occur; the experimental methods are often based on the use of femtosecond laser pulses
    geochemistry
    the science that studies the physical makeup of the substances the earth and other planets are composed of
    photochemistry
    branch of chemistry that deals with the chemical action of light
    nuclear chemistry, radiochemistry
    the chemistry of radioactive substances
    surface chemistry
    the branch of chemistry that studies processes occurring at interfaces between phases (especially those between liquid and gas)
    acoustics, phonics
    the study of the physical properties of sound
    astronomy, uranology
    the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole
    aeronautics, astronautics
    the theory and practice of navigation through air or space
    biophysics
    physics as applied to biological problems
    cryogenics, cryogeny
    the branch of physics that studies the phenomena that occur at very low temperatures
    crystallography
    the branch of science that studies the formation and structure of crystals
    electromagnetics, electromagnetism
    the branch of physics concerned with electromagnetic phenomena
    electronics
    the branch of physics that deals with the emission and effects of electrons and with the use of electronic devices
    electrostatics
    the branch of physics that deals with static electricity
    mechanics
    the branch of physics concerned with the motion of bodies in a frame of reference
    atomic physics, nuclear physics, nucleonics
    the branch of physics that studies the internal structure of atomic nuclei
    optics
    the branch of physics that studies the physical properties of light
    high energy physics, high-energy physics, particle physics
    the branch of physics that studies subatomic particles and their interactions
    plasma physics
    the branch of physics concerned with matter in its plasma phase
    quantum physics
    the branch of physics based on quantum theory
    rheology
    the branch of physics that studies the deformation and flow of matter
    thermochemistry
    the branch of chemistry that studies the relation between chemical action and the amount of heat absorbed or generated
    solid-state physics
    the branch of physics that studies the properties of materials in the solid state: electrical conduction in crystals of semiconductors and metals; superconductivity; photoconductivity
    statistical mechanics
    the branch of physics that makes theoretical predictions about the behavior of macroscopic systems on the basis of statistical laws governing its component particles
    thermodynamics
    the branch of physics concerned with the conversion of different forms of energy
    geology
    a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks
    meteorology
    the earth science dealing with phenomena of the atmosphere (especially weather)
    oceanography, oceanology
    the branch of science dealing with physical and biological aspects of the oceans
    limnology
    the scientific study of bodies of fresh water for their biological and physical and geological properties
    geographics, geography
    study of the earth's surface; includes people's responses to topography and climate and soil and vegetation
    type of:
    science, scientific discipline
    a particular branch of scientific knowledge
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