indigenous

adjective

in·​dig·​e·​nous in-ˈdi-jə-nəs 

1

a

: produced, growing, living, or occurring natively or naturally in a particular region or environment

indigenous plants

The forested 1-acre lot has a pool surrounded by indigenous grasses, lawns, and specimen trees …

—The Week

b

usually Indigenous : of, relating to, or descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a place and especially of a place that was colonized

The Day of the Dead has roots in Indigenous Aztec culture.

—Nicole Ferraro and Katarina Avendaño

In pockets all over the world, Indigenous communities are teaching scientists to care for the ocean using knowledge passed down over generations.

—Julia Jacobo

2

: innate, inborn

a type of behavior that is indigenous to human beings

indigenously adverb

indigenousness noun

Did you know?

Indigenous derives from the Latin noun indigena (meaning "native"), which was formed by combining Old Latin indu (meaning "in" or "within") with the verb gignere (meaning "to beget"). Another term that comes from the indigena root is indigene, a word for a plant or animal that lives, grows, or originates in a certain area. Indigene is the older of the two; it has been used in English since the late 16th century, whereas the earliest documented use of indigenous occurred nearly 50 years later. Indigenous is used in scientific contexts to describe organisms and the habitats to which they belong, and in expressly non-scientific contexts, as in "emotions indigenous to the human spirit." Most often, however, it's used to describe the native inhabitants of a place.

Synonyms of indigenous

• aboriginal
• native

Choose the Right Synonym for indigenous

native, indigenous, endemic, aboriginal mean belonging to a locality.

native implies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it.

native tribal customs

indigenous applies to that which is not only native but which, as far as can be determined, has never been introduced or brought from elsewhere.

indigenous plants

endemic implies being peculiar to a region.

a disease endemic to many countries

aboriginal implies having no known others preceding in occupancy of a particular region.

the aboriginal peoples of Australia

Examples of indigenous in a Sentence

Viking invaders quickly subdued the indigenous population, known as the Picts. —Jared M. Diamond, Collapse, 2005

Unlike France, Italy relies on dozens of indigenous regional grape varieties for its prodigious range of wines. —Gerald Asher, Gourmet, September 2002

Though Gilded Age architecture was not indigenous to America, at least it was borrowed from belle epoque Europe, from which much of America's late-nineteenth-century culture evolved. —Robert D. Kaplan, An Empire Wilderness, 1988

There are several indigenous groups that still live in the area.

the culture of the indigenous people of that country

Recent Examples on the Web

Off-screen, she has been honored for her philanthropy, having created the Wayuu Taya Foundation to assist the indigenous Wayuu people of Venezuela and Colombia. —Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025

The defence of the environment and indigenous people has been one of the cornerstones of my presidency and a lifelong concern. —Gustavo Petro, Time, 9 Nov. 2025

The president’s office declined to comment on activists’ claims that the delay in vaccinations is a deliberate strategy intended to leave indigenous communities more vulnerable to the new coronavirus. —Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025

Systems to better protect oceans, coastal marshes and mangroves will also be on the agenda, as well as an emphasis on the indigenous people who live on and manage much of the world’s natural places. —Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin indigenus, from Latin indigena, noun, native, from Old Latin indu, endo in, within + Latin gignere to beget — more at end-, kin

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing indigenous

• non-indigenous

Rhymes for indigenous

• polygynous
• nonindigenous

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Kids Definition

indigenous

adjective

in·​dig·​e·​nous in-ˈdij-ə-nəs 

1

: produced, growing, or living naturally in a particular region or environment

indigenous plants

2

often capitalized : of or relating to the earliest known inhabitants of a place and especially of a place that was colonized

Indigenous people

indigenously adverb

Medical Definition

indigenous

adjective

in·​dig·​e·​nous in-ˈdij-ə-nəs 

1

: having originated in and being produced, growing, or living naturally in a particular region or environment

a disease indigenous to the tropics

colonization by small numbers of indigenous enteric bacteria

—C. M. Kunin et al.

2

: being inborn or innate

a type of behavior that is indigenous to human beings

indigenously adverb