Nudist or Naturist? — Frequently Asked Questions on True Nudists

Allison123Original Poster

Jul 11, 2014

Ok, this is something that's always confused me a little. But what is the difference between an Nudist and a Naturist? It is just one likes to be nude in nature? Honestly I've looked online and found a ton of different answers and didn't know which one(s) were right.

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JO
John
Jul 11, 2014
My personnel definitions (others will vary).

Nudist - Prefers being naked in comfort - Landed clubs, Pool, Hot tub, amenities on site.

Naturist - Prefers the great outdoors in a more natural state - Beach, lakeside, stream, hiking trails, no or very few amenities.

Just my thoughts - Others will disagree I'm sure.

John aka cobeachbum

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DE
DesertRat
Jul 11, 2014
In my opinion there is no difference between the meaning of the terms but I believe people use the euphemism "naturist" as a nice substitute for "nude". Personally I prefer the term nude. I am a nudist because I like to be nude and am not a naturist. I do not like to commune with nature.
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MA
ManOfWicklow
Jul 11, 2014
Nice natural nudists nurturing naked naturism.
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MA
ManOfWicklow
Jul 11, 2014
[quote]There's no difference. Why do we have to complicate things? Just enjoy it.
[/quote][img id=_r_a_768646400 class=event-item-lol-image title="this is realtor cat... how can I complicate your day?" alt="this is realtor cat... how can I complicate your day?" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/768646400/h15274BF2/" width=375 height=325>
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ST
StevieLorna
Jul 11, 2014
I believe they are both the same.

I may be wrong, but most Brits I know would say Naturist rather than Nudist.
No idea if it's the opposite in the US.
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AL
Allison123Original Poster
Jul 13, 2014
See, it seems like even here I get a ton of different answered. :P I guess I feel they are the same. Its looking like it depends on where you are from, and who you talk to.. And I guess if you are still kind of in the closet about it like I am, then you are a closet nudist because closet naturist doesn't sound right. :P
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AL
Allan
Aug 25, 2014

LMAO!!!
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ME
Member
Aug 25, 2014
[quote]I believe they are both the same.

I may be wrong, but most Brits I know would say Naturist rather than Nudist.
No idea if it's the opposite in the US.[/quote]I tend to agree with you. I was introduced to social nudity here many years ago by people who referred to themselves as nudists, so I used the term too. With the varying definitions of the words I find both describe me, I love being nude in nature and prefer to be naked whenever possible anywhere, indoors or outside, in nature and otherwise, on my own or socially. To me the words are interchangeable, they describe people who enjoy life naked, though my preference is to call myself a nudist. I like both the word and being nude anywhere.
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ME
Member
Aug 30, 2014
I would consider myself more a naturist than a nudist. For me it is an environmental choice. I am nude at home all summer but not at all in the winter. There are some on this site who would rather run a heater than dress, but I would not. It has been about lowering my energy and water footprint, less electricity because less cooling is needed and less water for the washing machine. I still need to go out but I try to consolidate and set outside days and inside days so that I can save a day's laundry. I do like to try to hit a nude beach but I don't have a lot of time to travel to a nude beach so I will sun on my balcony instead. Hope you find that helpful.
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JO
Jonathan
Sep 7, 2014
There doesn't seem to be a real difference between them.
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NA
nakedman54
Sep 20, 2014
I prefer the term NAKED to describe who I am. I always think "nudist" sounds slightly pretentious. I think of women being nudists and men going or being naked. Just my thoughts and views not trying to moralize. I always openly say "I go naked all the time" or "I'm naked". I would never say "yes I'm in the nude". I also think NAKED has a more raw and masculine flavor and sound which is definitely who I am. Naked Man
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LA
Lakeman221
Nov 28, 2014
[quote]We feel the words mean the same and are interchangeable. In the past ... naturists were nudists that enjoyed being naked in nature but what happened is that those naturists began to visit clubs, resorts and were also naked all the time at home. The nudists ventured outside the home, outside the gates of their clubs and resorts and found new freedoms on beaches, in the woods, on lakes ... in nature. So ... nudist or naturists ... there really isn't this difference some think there is. We are all the same; we enjoy, prefer, live naked whenever and wherever possible and that's outside of nature as well as in nature! :D
[/quote]I agree, it is just two words with the same general meaning. This difference comes in the number of letters in the names, one has six, the other eight. Also, they both start and end with N & T.Maybe as a naturist, you need to leave all hair intact all the time, not tattoos or piercings, but as a nudist you can trim or shave areas as you see fit or add tattoos and piercings as well. So maybe naturists are naked hairy people, and nudists are naked people with more trimmed up/ shaved areas of the body.
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DA
Dave
Dec 28, 2014
Good question. While I agree that the two terms are generally, and acceptably, used interchangeably, they have slightly different meanings for different people.My own views are that a nudist sees a more compelling need to be naked as much as possible, at any cost, where a naturist also enjoys being naked, but is more selective when doing so. If it is a cloudy day and 60Â° outside, I'll probably be wearing something. If it's 60Â° and sunny, probably not.
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DA
David
Dec 28, 2014
Seems to me that trying to define the terms overly complicates the simple joy of being naked. For me, there is nothing more simple than shedding the trappings of society and living life while wearing the perfect outfit - my skin!
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LA
Lakeman221
Dec 31, 2014
[quote]We feel the words mean the same and are interchangeable. In the past ... naturists were nudists that enjoyed being naked in nature but what happened is that those naturists began to visit clubs, resorts and were also naked all the time at home. The nudists ventured outside the home, outside the gates of their clubs and resorts and found new freedoms on beaches, in the woods, on lakes ... in nature. So ... nudist or naturists ... there really isn't this difference some think there is. We are all the same; we enjoy, prefer, live naked whenever and wherever possible and that's outside of nature as well as in nature! :D
[/quote]I feel the same way, they are interchangeable words in my opinion. The same for nude and naked, they mean essentially the same thing.
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DE
DesertRat
Feb 5, 2015
[quote]In my opinion there is no difference between the meaning of the terms but I believe people use the euphemism "naturist" as a nice substitute for "nude". Personally I prefer the term nude. I am a nudist because I like to be nude and am not a naturist. I do not like to commune with nature.[/quote]Just an interesting side note to add to my last post on this topic. I recently looked up naturist in a couple of different dictionaries. Neither of them listed naturists but they did have nudists. Maybe I have old dictionaries.
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AS
Ask
Feb 9, 2015
So I guess I am a Naturist then and my wife is Nudist. She would rather be nude on a a nice lounge with a glass of wine, and I want to go on a naked hike! But we still get along. :-)
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HA
Hawk
Feb 10, 2015
Both the same = No Clothes on
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MA
ManOfWicklow
Feb 11, 2015
Nudurist
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T=
Tom === Thomas S. Tierney
Feb 11, 2015
Interesting!
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