Native American

noun

plural Native Americans

: a member of any of the Indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere

especially : a Native American of North America and especially the U.S.

Native American adjective

Examples of Native American in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Feather Alert, a state public alert system working much like the AMBER Alert for missing children, is initiated when a Native American goes missing. —James C Ramos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026

Native American Day already elective holiday Currently, California recognizes Native American Day as one of several elective holidays that state employees can choose to take the day off. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026

Small group bear tracking excursions with Wilderness Island Tours blend expert tracking by Native American guides with cultural experiences. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026

Black adolescents had lower odds of past-year inhalant use compared with White adolescents, while Native American and Alaska Native adolescents had higher odds of inhalant use disorder, and Asian adolescents had lower odds of inhalant use disorder. —Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 15 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

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