Native American
noun
: a member of any of the indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere
especially
: a Native American of North America and especially the U.S. compare american indian
Native American
adjective
Examples of Native American in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2018, Graham Lee Brewer, a contributing editor to High Country News and a member of the Cherokee nation, contributed an essay in the publication about the long history of treating Native American remains as collectors' items.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
Revealing the Smithsonian's ‘racial brain collection’ Whether these are Native American remains matters for many reasons.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Repatriating the ancestral remains and items to tribes would mark a significant moment for UC Berkeley, which has lagged far behind other institutions in returning its massive holdings under the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
—Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2023
And Bass primarily operates in [Native American] territory, which is modern day Oklahoma and Fort Smith, Arkansas.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023
The objects’ long separation from the tribes whose members were at Wounded Knee underscores a key way in which the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act has failed to bring about the expeditious return of cultural artifacts to Indigenous communities.
—Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2023
But the new money has also led to a series of unsolved murders, and Scorsese grimly interrupts the action at regular intervals to show the faces, and say the names, of the Native American dead.
—Vulture, 20 Oct. 2023
Other titles include books with characters who are Asian, Latino or Native American, while some touch on topics such as immigration and bullying.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2023
Despite his extensive accomplishments – including three Native American Music Awards – Waln measures his success differently.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 9 Oct. 2023
See More
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
Revealing the Smithsonian's ‘racial brain collection’ Whether these are Native American remains matters for many reasons.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Repatriating the ancestral remains and items to tribes would mark a significant moment for UC Berkeley, which has lagged far behind other institutions in returning its massive holdings under the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
—Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2023
And Bass primarily operates in [Native American] territory, which is modern day Oklahoma and Fort Smith, Arkansas.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023
The objects’ long separation from the tribes whose members were at Wounded Knee underscores a key way in which the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act has failed to bring about the expeditious return of cultural artifacts to Indigenous communities.
—Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2023
But the new money has also led to a series of unsolved murders, and Scorsese grimly interrupts the action at regular intervals to show the faces, and say the names, of the Native American dead.
—Vulture, 20 Oct. 2023
Other titles include books with characters who are Asian, Latino or Native American, while some touch on topics such as immigration and bullying.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2023
Despite his extensive accomplishments – including three Native American Music Awards – Waln measures his success differently.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 9 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Native American.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1628, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of Native American was
circa 1628
Articles Related to Native American
Dictionary Entries Near Native American
Cite this Entry
“Native American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Native%20American. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
Native American
noun
: a member of any of the indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere
especially
: a Native American of North America and especially the U.S. compare american indian
Native American
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on Native American
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Native American
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share