The rest of this section, contributed by Durand Stieger, goes into more detail (more than I did, anyway) about the differences between "naturists" and "nudists." Please note that I have not edited Durand's words - any opinions expressed are his, although I agree with much of what he has to say.
While nudism has long been defined in dictionaries, naturism has not. Indeed, the word "naturist" is only recently beginning to be added. In the USA today, the words nudism and naturism may be best defined by the two principal organisations representing these "-ism's": the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS). Both organisations believe in the essential wholesomeness, naturalness, and healthfulness of social nudity. AANR has, since its beginning as the American Sunbathing Association (ASA), represented nudists on private property -- generally at its privately- owned nudist campgrounds and resorts -- and expects its members to be "clothed when practical, unclothed when possible." TNS has been the primary champion of clothing-optional use of appropriate public lands. And both organisations have some areas of overlap, both in activities and membership.
However, most of us wonder less about the "-ism's" and more about the differences, if any, between nudist and naturist -- and, more particularly: which should we consider ourself to be? Nudist and naturist can perhaps best be defined by their stereotypes, both of which relate to their typical environments. Of course, all nudists and naturists have that common belief in the essential wholesomeness, naturalness, and healthfulness of social nudity.
The stereotypical nudist prefers to enjoy social nudity at enclosed private-property sites, safe from prying eyes or harassment from the law. She enjoys use of the facilities and amenities which these campgrounds and resorts provide. She prefers organisational structure -- if not to participate in, then at least for the rules and regulations afforded. And she enjoys the social structure and activities which many private sites provide.
The stereotypical naturist prefers to commune with nature in the open outdoors -- e.g., at a lake, stream, beach, or wilderness setting -- without the feeling of being enclosed behind tall fences. She needs few, if any, facilities or amenities -- preferring, instead, an undisturbed natural setting. She wants no organisational structure, thank you, nor any list of rules or regulations imposed on her (beyond basic beach etiquette, that is). And she needs no social structure or activities; if there are some friends to visit with, that's fine, but it's also fine to be alone or with just a companion or two. Further, since the stereotypical naturist usually uses public lands for her nude recreation, she realises that these clothing-optional areas may have clothed users as well.
Many of us nude recreators do not entirely match either above stereotype; instead, we are somewhere along the continuum between these two (and even extending somewhat beyond each). For example, if half the time you prefer a naturist site on a beach or stream, while the other half you prefer nudist activities at a resort with amenities, then you are about halfway between these two on that continuum.
Before Lee Baxandall formed The Naturist Society, "naturist" was the European equivalent to the American word "nudist" (as in the International Naturist Federation, the international nudist organisation headquartered in Europe). Americans formerly known as "free beachers," or just "skinny-dippers," overnight became "naturists" -- when Lee then pulled the term out from under the nudists and gave it new meaning in America. The former free beachers readily adopted the new term, particularly as it emphasised the aspects of "nature" and "natural" so dear to free beachers.
There are those of us who believe that the use of two different labels for us, nudist and naturist, is divisive -- and that we are really all pretty much the same, so we should treat the two terms as synonymous. While they are entitled to their synonymous-view opinion, they should not take umbrage when others wish to use the two terms separately -- in reference to organisational and/or philosophical denotations. Perhaps when the day arrives that AANR and TNS are either no longer needed or have identical objectives, then a common label will suit both.
Thus, each of us is free to choose whatever label for ourself that we like best. Nudist, naturist, skinny-dipper, free beacher -- whatever -- and we are free to use one label at one time and another at another time, as our mood fancies. Some Naturists also see purpose to considering Naturism as a belief, to be respected and afforded protections, and these people (plus those of us who wish to show respect for this view) use Naturist and Naturism in their capitalised form.
Almost every adult in America knows (or think they know) what "nudist" means, while very few know what "naturist" means. However, it is far better and more accurate for us to identify ourselves as naturists as we influence the public toward tolerance of appropriate clothing- optional areas on public lands.
It is also vital that we steadfastly maintain, to ourselves and the public, that overt sexual activity has nothing whatever to do with naturism or nudism. A common public myth is that social nudity involves or promotes sexual activity. And we also know that some individuals and businesses, with sexual agendas of their own, see us as a nude, liberal-minded, meat-market hunting ground for their own purposes. Indeed, some swingers and others with sexual agendas have infiltrated into our organisations -- and some businesses, promoting or allowing sexual activity, have masqueraded as nudist/naturist businesses. These are cancers and must be removed; they are not us, they hurt us, and they should never be considered part of us. We cannot tolerate even a few.
