indigene

noun

in·​di·​gene ˈin-də-ˌjēn How to pronounce indigene (audio)
variants or less commonly indigen
ˈin-di-jən How to pronounce indigene (audio)
-də-ˌjen
: native

Examples of indigene in a Sentence

the indigenes had not merely adapted to the harsh climate, but had in fact prospered in it
Recent Examples on the Web Flexible intuitions of Euclidean geometry in an Amazonian indigene group. Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2011 Many of the indigenes believe that their perpetual sadness is the root cause of disease and death among them. Scientific American, 25 Mar. 2020 No doubt the Tainos, the indigenes at the time of European encounter, have plenty to smoke about, if there are any left alive. Peter Lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indigene.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin indigena

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of indigene was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near indigene

Cite this Entry

“Indigene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigene. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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