What is a naturist / nudist?

Question

I've heard the terms but I don't fully understand them. Are they two differfent words for the same thing? Or are they different?

I'm asking this as part of my attempts to study the different cultures that exist in our society.

Thanks for the answers so far, but I'm not really lloking for a dictionary definition, I'm looking for something that will allow to to actually understand this group, the whos, the hows and the whys.

Answer 1

Hi. These two words are really used interchangeably. But a naturist might say that she has a bit more of a philosophy behind what she does, where a nudist might just feel she likes the freedom of being natural. There have been people (especially in Scandinavia and Germany) who have written philosophies of naturism or nudism. This has a long history actually. So perhaps the difference is in the perception and intention of the person. As for me, I think of myself more as just a nudist because I enjoy going without clothes. It makes me feel alive as a young woman so I have fun with it.