What does natal mean?
Natal is an adjective meaning “relating to birth.” It can describe the circumstances surrounding a person's birth, an anniversary of that birth, or information connected with the date, time, and place of birth. The phrase “natal day” means a birthday, while a “natal chart” is the diagram used in astrology to represent a person's birth and the positions of the planets at that time. Natal is more formal than the everyday term birth, and it is often found in historical, biographical, medical, or astrological writing. In medicine, the related but distinct term neonatal refers specifically to the period and care of newborn infants, whereas natal more generally denotes the event of birth itself. The word is understood in both British and American English and is normally used as an attributive adjective.
adjectiveRelating to birth or to the circumstances and time of a person's birth. It is especially used in formal, medical, and astrological contexts.
- Relating to birth or to the time and circumstances of a person's birth.
- Of or concerning astrological charts based on the date, time, and place of birth.
"The archive contains the prince's natal chart and a record of his natal day."
"The museum preserves the queen's natal day diaries and correspondence."
"An astrologer interpreted the composer's natal chart to explain his early talent."
Your birth chart is a natal chart: “natal” simply means “of birth.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does natal come from?
Natal comes from Latin natalis, meaning “of or relating to birth,” from natus, “born,” the past participle of nasci, “to be born.” That Latin root also lies behind English words including native, nature, innate, and nascent.
Related word forms
How natal is actually used
Natal is formal and commonly used attributively. It generally concerns birth itself, whereas postnatal refers to the period after birth and neonatal to medical care or conditions affecting newborn infants.
Easily confused with natal
Natal means relating to birth, whereas national means relating to a nation or its people.
Natal concerns the circumstances of birth, while native commonly means originating in a particular place or belonging to a population by origin.