in a state of nature

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are those who think it’s about man in a state of nature, what we are capable of when society is made primal around us.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Which philosopher argued that all people are born free in a state of nature, and the government should exist only by their consent?

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

In 1773, they wrote in what are known as the Sheffield Resolves that “Mankind in a state of nature are equal, free, and independent of each other.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 20, 2022

The screenplays are a goldmine for observations on the human condition in a state of nature, beyond the constraints of modern institutions.

From The Guardian • Apr. 24, 2016

Animals may be said to be improved when any desired quality has been increased by art beyond what that quality was in the same breed in a state of nature.

From Poultry A Practical Guide to the Choice, Breeding, Rearing, and Management of all Descriptions of Fowls, Turkeys, Guinea-fowls, Ducks, and Geese, for Profit and Exhibition. by Piper, Hugh