Naturedness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A characteristic disposition or temperament often reflecting kindness and amiability towards others
2. The quality of having a particular nature, often indicating a friendly or amiable demeanor
3. A state of being defined by one's inherent traits, particularly those that are gentle and agreeable

Etymology: "Nature" comes from Latin "natura," a noun formed from "nasci," meaning "to be born." The Latin word came to mean the inborn qualities of a thing, and English took it through Old French "nature." The sense of innate character, what someone is like at their core, grew out of that original idea of birth and origin. The ending "-ness" is a native English suffix, descended from Old English "-nes(s)," that turns an adjective or noun into a noun for a quality or state. Adding it to "nature" yields "naturedness," so the word names the condition of having one's inherent traits, with the gentle, agreeable sense the definition gives.

Synonyms: temperament, disposition, character, nature

Antonyms: artificiality, unnaturalness