Environment vs. Nature: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 29, 2023
Environment encompasses all external conditions affecting an organism, while Nature refers to the natural world, especially its physical and biological processes.
Key Differences
Environment is a broad term that includes all surroundings and conditions in which an organism lives, including both natural and artificial elements. Nature, however, specifically refers to the physical world, including plants, animals, landscapes, and other features and products of the earth.
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Dec 29, 2023
The Environment can encompass both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components, including human-made and cultural aspects. Nature typically implies the aspects of the world not altered or created by humans, focusing on the innate characteristics of the physical world.
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Dec 29, 2023
Environment is often used in the context of environmental protection, emphasizing the interaction between living organisms and their surroundings. Nature is associated with the intrinsic qualities of the natural world, often used in the context of wilderness and conservation.
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The Environment can be modified and influenced by human activities, highlighting the impact of human civilization on the world. Nature is viewed as the original state of the physical world, often contrasted with human-made environments.
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Environment is a more encompassing term, including the social, cultural, and urban settings in which people live. Nature refers to the inherent and unaltered state of the physical world, often idealized for its purity and untouched quality.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
All external conditions affecting organisms
The natural, physical world and its processes
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Components
Includes biotic, abiotic, and human-made elements
Focuses on the world not altered by humans
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Context
Environmental protection, human impact
Wilderness, conservation, intrinsic qualities
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Human Influence
Often includes human modifications
Typically devoid of human alterations
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Scope
Broader, encompassing social and cultural aspects
More specific to the physical, unaltered world
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Environment and Nature Definitions
Environment
The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
Marine animals are adapted to their oceanic environment.
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Nature
The inherent or essential qualities or character of something.
Curiosity is in the nature of scientific work.
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Environment
The natural world as affected by human activity.
Industrial pollution is harmful to the environment.
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Nature
The basic or inherent features, character, or qualities of something.
Understanding the nature of the problem is crucial.
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Environment
The aggregate of physical, social, and cultural conditions influencing an organism or community.
The environment in which children grow up affects their development.
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Environment
The totality of the natural world, often excluding humans
"Technology, of course, lies at the heart of man's relationship with the environment" (Mark Hertsgaard).
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Nature
The forces and processes that produce and control these phenomena
The balance of nature.
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Environment
A subset of the natural world; an ecosystem
The coastal environment.
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Nature
The world of living things and the outdoors
Spent the day enjoying nature.
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Environment
The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, behavior, and survival of organisms
"Conditions in a lion's environment ... can drive it to hunt people" (Philip Caputo).
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Nature
A primitive state of existence, untouched and uninfluenced by civilization or social constraints
When people lived in a state of nature.
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Environment
The complex of social and cultural conditions affecting the nature of an individual person or community.
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Nature
The basic character or qualities of humanity
It is only human nature to worry about the future.
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Environment
The general set of conditions or circumstances
A terrible environment for doing business.
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Nature
The fundamental character or disposition of a person; temperament
A man of an irascible nature.
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Environment
The entire set of conditions under which one operates a computer, as it relates to the hardware, operating platform, or operating system.
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Nature
The set of inherent characteristics or properties that distinguish something
Trying to determine the nature of a newly discovered phenomenon.
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Environment
An area of a computer's memory used by the operating system and some programs to store certain variables to which they need frequent access.
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Environment
The surroundings of, and influences on, a particular item of interest.
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Nature
The processes and functions of the body, as in healing
The doctor decided not to do anything and let nature take its course.
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Environment
All the elements that affect a system or its inputs and outputs.
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Nature
The way things are, the totality of all things in the physical universe and their order, especially the physical world in contrast to spiritual realms and flora and fauna as distinct from human conventions, art, and technology.
Nature doesn't lie.
The laws of nature are written in the language of mathematics.
Tectonic activity is part of nature, so there's no way to stop earthquakes.
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Environment
(computing) The software and/or hardware existing on any particular computer system.
That program uses the Microsoft Windows environment.
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Nature
The essential or innate characteristics of a person or thing which will always tend to manifest, especially in contrast to specific contexts, reason, religious duty, upbringing, and personal pretense or effort.
It's not in my nature to steal.
You can't help feeling that way. It's human nature.
Power corrupts. That's just the nature of the beast.
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Environment
(programming) The environment of a function at a point during the execution of a program is the set of identifiers in the function's scope and their bindings at that point.
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Nature
The distinguishing characteristic of a person or thing, understood as its general class, sort, type, etc.
What was the nature of your relationship with the deceased?
The best medium might be petroleum, liquified gas, or something of that nature.
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Environment
(computing) The set of variables and their values in a namespace that an operating system associates with a process.
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Nature
The vital functions or strength of someone or something, especially as requiring nourishment or careful maintenance or (medicine) as a force of regeneration without special treatment.
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Environment
That which environs or surrounds; surrounding conditions, influences, or forces, by which living forms are influenced and modified in their growth and development.
It is no friendly environment, this of thine.
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Nature
A requirement or powerful impulse of the body's physical form, especially
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Environment
The totality of surrounding conditions;
He longed for the comfortable environment of his livingroom
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Environment
The area in which something exists or lives;
The country--the flat agricultural surround
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Environment
The setting or conditions where a particular activity is carried out.
They created a supportive learning environment in the classroom.
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Nature
Spontaneous love, affection, or reverence, especially between parent and child.
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Environment
A particular geographical area, especially as affected by human activity.
The factory's emissions have a detrimental impact on the local environment.
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Nature
A product of the body's physical form, especially semen and vaginal fluids, menstrual fluid, and (obsolete) feces.
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Nature
A part of the body's physical form, especially (obsolete) the female genitalia.
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Nature
The existing system of things; the universe of matter, energy, time and space; the physical world; all of creation. Contrasted with the world of mankind, with its mental and social phenomena.
But looks through nature up to nature's God.
When, in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bonds which have connected them with another, ans to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal Station which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to the Separation.
Nature has caprices which art can not imitate.
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Nature
The personified sum and order of causes and effects; the powers which produce existing phenomena, whether in the total or in detail; the agencies which carry on the processes of creation or of being; - often conceived of as a single and separate entity, embodying the total of all finite agencies and forces as disconnected from a creating or ordering intelligence; as, produced by nature; the forces of nature.
I oft admireHow Nature, wise and frugal, could commitSuch disproportions.
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Nature
The established or regular course of things; usual order of events; connection of cause and effect.
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Nature
Conformity to that which is natural, as distinguished from that which is artificial, or forced, or remote from actual experience.
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
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Nature
The sum of qualities and attributes which make a person or thing what it is, as distinct from others; native character; inherent or essential qualities or attributes; peculiar constitution or quality of being.
Thou, therefore, whom thou only canst redeem,Their nature also to thy nature join,And be thyself man among men on earth.
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Nature
Kind, sort; character; quality.
A dispute of this nature caused mischief.
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Nature
Physical constitution or existence; the vital powers; the natural life.
Oppressed nature sleeps.
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Nature
Natural affection or reverence.
Have we not seenThe murdering son ascend his parent's bed,Through violated nature force his way?
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Nature
Constitution or quality of mind or character.
A born devil, on whose natureNurture can never stick.
That reverence which is due to a superior nature.
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Nature
The essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized;
It is the nature of fire to burn
The true nature of jealousy
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Nature
A causal agent creating and controlling things in the universe;
The laws of nature
Nature has seen to it that men are stronger than women
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Nature
The natural physical world including plants and animals and landscapes etc.;
They tried to preserve nature as they found it
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Nature
The complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions;
It is his nature to help others
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Nature
A particular type of thing;
Problems of this type are very difficult to solve
He's interested in trains and things of that nature
Matters of a personal nature
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Nature
The phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, and landscapes.
Hiking allows me to connect with nature.
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Nature
The natural, unaltered, and uncontrolled world.
The reserve protects nature from human interference.
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Nature
The material world, especially as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities.
Nature is often a source of inspiration for artists.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Is nature only outdoors?
Primarily, focusing on the physical, natural world.
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Can environment include cities?
Yes, it encompasses both natural and urban settings.
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Is environmental science about protection?
Yes, it focuses on protecting natural and human environments.
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Does nature include human-made objects?
No, it refers to the natural, unaltered world.
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Can nature be controlled by humans?
Humans can impact but not fully control nature.
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How do humans affect the environment?
Through activities like urbanization, pollution, and resource use.
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Is nature always peaceful?
Not necessarily; it includes all natural phenomena.
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Is gardening considered interacting with nature?
Yes, gardening involves engaging with natural elements.
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What does environment encompass?
All conditions and surroundings affecting organisms.
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Are environmental factors only physical?
They include physical, social, and cultural aspects.
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Can the environment influence health?
Yes, environmental factors significantly impact health.
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Do natural resources include water and air?
Yes, they are key components of nature.
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Do environmental policies affect nature?
They aim to protect and preserve natural environments.
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Can the environment be artificial?
Parts of it, like urban environments, can be human-made.
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Is environmental education important?
It's crucial for understanding and protecting our world.
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What's an example of an environmental issue?
Climate change is a major environmental concern.
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Can nature include geological features?
Yes, geological features are part of nature.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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