自然科学|しぜんかがくshizenkagaku

1. nounnatural science
   その大学だいがくの課程かていは自然科学しぜんかがくと社会しゃかい科学かがくから成り立なりたっている。↗

   That university's curriculum covers natural science and social science.

• Synonym理学りがくWrittenWritten/formal term for the basic natural sciences—physics, chemistry, biology—as in 「理学部」; 「自然科学」 is the broader academic umbrella.
• Synonym理科りかNeutralNeutral term for science as a school subject and for the science fields at university; 「自然科学」 is the academic umbrella term.
• SynonymナチュラルサイエンスWrittenWritten loanword for natural science; rare in everyday use, seen mostly in specialized contexts.
• Antonym人文科学じんぶんかがくWrittenWritten term for fields studying human culture, such as literature and philosophy; the counterpart to 「自然科学」.
• Antonym社会科学しゃかいかがくWrittenWritten term for fields studying social phenomena, such as economics and law; grouped alongside 「自然科学」.

Use 「自然科学」 for the sciences studying natural phenomena. 「理学」 covers the basic natural sciences (e.g. 「理学部」); 「理科」 is the school subject or university science fields; 「ナチュラルサイエンス」 is a rare loanword. For human culture pick 「人文科学」, for society 「社会科学」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 自然しぜんを対象たいしょうとする科学かがくの分野ぶんや。物理学ぶつりがく、化学かがく、生物学せいぶつがく、地球ちきゅう科学かがくなどを含ふくむ。数学すうがくを含ふくむ場合ばあいもある。