We used to have a topic about this on our A Naturist Family website in 2018 and it had some interesting responses. We didn't move the question to the new ANW forum in 2020 because we have never wanted to create an imaginary divide among people based on words alone. To us all people who are respectful of what ANW stands for are an equal and welcome part of the community and their chosen word for social nudity is purely a matter of choice. We are all basically here for the same thing and there is no reason to feel we have separate attitudes due to our chosen word.
Words do matter and can make a big difference in how we view things. Look at the different connotations we may have in different countries with the name of the same product: bum bag and fan-ny pack.
The subject of the two words came up in yesterday's Virtual Meet. Two ANW-ers that live in the USA were leaning towards the idea that naturism has a more family friendly, back to nature, wholesome definition where as nudism had more adult only, leaning towards sexual sharing definition. It is certainly true that nudism supplies worse results when searching on the internet but is that not partly because a huge proportion of porn originates from websites in the USA where that word is more popular?
Our own leaning is towards the idea that both words primarily mean the same and can be interchangeable and should happily fit the INF definition of naturism: a way of life in harmony with nature characterised by the practice of communal nudity with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others and for the environment. And that people can opt through their own wants how far they take the philosophy into their lives - doing it simply because they like it or finding great meaning in it.
A quick look at dictionaries and the first results I find are these:
nudist - a person who believes that not wearing clothes is healthy and who is often part of a group of people who meet to practice their belief.
naturist - a person who likes to be naked and believes that people should not have to wear clothes.
Various other results seem to show a easy blurring of one word and the other.
We use Naturism on ANW as the default because it is what the vast majority of national bodies use, it has better search results on the internet, it is the word we grew up aware of and we also feel it fits the idea of social, non-sexual nudity better.
Naturism - connects us to the word nature. Suggesting that we are in our natural state.
Nudism - connects us to the word nude. Suggesting we are in an undressed state.
So to us naturism suggests that being without clothes is the normal with naturism being the default state and dressing being the unnatural state, where as nudism suggest the removal of clothes is necessary to get their, implying that the default state in humans is being dressed, and that nudism is therefore the forced state.
Some feel that naturism is more philosophical in nature and nudism is just about getting naked, and yet I have read some people share the same thoughts turned around, with naturism being the less meaningful of the two words.
There is no doubt that there are some ANW-ers who use the word nudist who are very much in tune with our idea or naturist. And there is also no doubt that naturist is used by people who have other more adult ideas in mind. So there is definitely a blurring of the two words in the way people personal define them and view social nudity. If nudism does have more sexual connotations in peoples minds, is that not more to do with the misuse of social nudity among people rather than the word having a separate meaning. Naturism is also being misused and the is certainly a movement towards connecting it more and more with adult only ideas which in turn places a sexualisation on to the word. The sad truth is that this adult only, sexualisation is being aimed at the life choice and not the words themselves. The internet, the rise of sexual sharing, the lack of proper understanding and the increase of adult only venues, linked with a growing reluctance to promote naturism/nudism for families and children are all taking their toll and helping to redefine the words in people's minds.
So what do you think? Are the words just simply different spellings with the same meaning. Just like hello, bonjour, Hallo, Ciao, Hola....Or do you feel that there are important differences, and does that effect your own choice.
Would it be better for clarification purposes if all genuine naturist/nudist bodies, clubs, groups, venues, websites and individuals used just one word and ensured that that word was kept safe, respected and understood by society to enable us all to see our life choice better trusted and grow?
I have no issue with people referring to me as either, but personally I prefer the term naturist. Mainly due to its connection with nature. When I'm out and about in the great outdoors hiking or wild swimming, I just feel closer to the nature if I'm naked at the time. Naked is my natural state, so when out enjoying the natural world, it only seems right that I should do so as nature intended.
It seems to me that in the US everything is more sexualized and the word Nudist still carries some of that so I feel to have to use the word Naturist instead. I have always enjoy and respect nature so it works for me. Europe is way more ahead of the US in all of this and I agree the two words are pretty much the same.
The live debate was indeed fascinating, which is the wonder of ANW and being able to have these types of conversations to get a universal understanding of how naturism/nudism is viewed across the world.
We entered the conversation stating that we saw both words as basically having the same meaning, and from our experiences talking to others, that appeared to us to be the view of most people. In some forums we have participated in before, it was stated that naturism tends to be a much more philosophical view of being naked, connected deeply with the natural world. Nudism was expressed as being similar without the deep process of thought behind it, simply being naked and enjoying the activity was sufficient.
When it was mentioned that nudism had a tendency to lean towards a libertine/hedonistic attitude, we cannot deny, we found that a little difficult to accept. We can understand that people who embrace a more hedonistic lifestyle are very much at ease naked, after all they are involved in a lifestyle that is centred around sexual sharing, but we cannot accept that as either nudism or naturism.
Someone who is hedonistic or libertine can join in none sexual nudism or naturism, and can attend or join a site for naturism/nudism, and while enjoying the social interaction of the site appear to be an average everyday naturist/nudist as long as they keep their sexual activity out of the conversation or interactions. For that moment in time they can very much be a part of the naturist community, but the moment any kind of sexual activity is inferred or acted upon, then it is our opinion that they are no longer honouring the INF rules of naturism/nudism and revert to Libertine or Hedonist.
We have encountered people within naturist circles who jump from one lifestyle to the other, going from none sexual to sexual in their behaviour, and have in the past been offered an invitation to join them, which we refused, as we are firm naturists in our beliefs, and feel it is not an activity that appeals to us.
Our conclusion after what was a very informative conversation on the live meet, is that our own personal opinion has not changed, if anything we feel that the use of the two words are mainly geographical in their use. Europe and the UK are more inclined to use the words Naturist, and North America and the countries surrounding it, which are greater influenced, are more inclined to use the different language of nudism, but in reality, all of us tend to have the same goals and appreciation of the lifestyle at heart.
at March 22, 2025 10:45 AM GMT
