native

adjective

na·tive | \ ˈnā-tiv

Definition of native

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : inborn, innate native talents

2 : belonging to a particular place by birth a native New Yorker

3 archaic : closely related

4 : belonging to or associated with one by birth hailed in his native Sweden as an influential dramatist— William Peden

5 : natural, normal a generosity that was native to him

6a : grown, produced, or originating in a particular place or in the vicinity : local native fruits and vegetables

b : living or growing naturally in a particular region : indigenous native wildlife of Australia

7 : simple, unaffected our feeling still native and entire, unsophisticated by pedantry— Edmund Burke

8a : constituting the original substance or source the way I must return to native dust— John Milton

b : found in nature especially in an unadulterated form mining native silver

9 chiefly Australia : having a usually superficial (see superficial sense 2) resemblance to a specified English plant or animal

10 capitalized : of, relating to, or being a member of an indigenous people of North or South America : native american

native

noun

Definition of native (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : one born or reared in a particular place

2a : an original or indigenous inhabitant

b : something indigenous to a particular locality

3 : a local resident especially : a person who has always lived in a place as distinguished from a visitor or a temporary resident

Other Words from native Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about native

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Synonyms & Antonyms for native

Synonyms: Adjective

aboriginal, autochthonous, born, domestic, endemic, indigenous

Synonyms: Noun

local, localite, townie (or towny), year-rounder

Antonyms: Adjective

nonindigenous, nonnative

Choose the Right Synonym for native

Adjective

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 in Africa aboriginal implies having no known others preceding in occupancy of a particular region. the aboriginal peoples of Australia

Examples of native in a Sentence

Adjective

people who are native to France She has a native ability to learn quickly. The island is home to several native species of trees.

Noun

She's a native of France who moved to the United States when she was 15. He wishes he could speak Spanish like a native. The plant is a native of Central and South America.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Tom wrote back an equally kind post and even included a bit of Gisele's native language (Portuguese) into the caption. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Best Celebrity Instagrams from Valentine’s Day 2019," 15 Feb. 2019 Are the other brown kids who speak their native language 'showing off'? — Cody Charles, Teen Vogue, "College Advice for Students of Marginalized Identities," 21 Nov. 2018 Hirono said in the hearings that his views on the status of native peoples should be considered offensive—and not just by Hawaiians. — Celeste Katz, Glamour, "Here Are the Senate Women at the Center of the Brett Kavanaugh Debate," 5 Oct. 2018 Then, everyone divides up into teams with classmates who don’t share their native language and tie up bright red aprons before turning to their recipes. — Anya Van Wagtendonk, Philly.com, "For these immigrants, flipping pancakes and learning English go hand-in-hand," 12 July 2018 But historians say the site was a longtime gathering point for native people. — Christopher Reynolds, latimes.com, "Sitting in the palm of nature: The unique energy — and performances — of Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre," 12 July 2018 The 26-year-old winger has been representing his native Switzerland at the World Cup this summer, with the Rossocrociati suffering elimination from the competition on Tuesday after a 1-0 defeat to Sweden in the last 16. — SI.com, "Liverpool Target Admits He Wants to Stay on the 'Biggest Stage' Following Premier League Relegation," 5 July 2018 During the early 1940s, many significant cultural figures went into exile, and civilians could be punished for speaking their native Catalan language in public spaces. — Kate Keller, Smithsonian, "Beyond the Headlines, Catalan Culture Has a Long History of Vibrancy and Staying Power," 25 June 2018 That’s when Blatter, now 82, stopped traveling outside of his native Switzerland. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "The World Cup’s Surprise Guest: Sepp Blatter," 19 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

For starters, the Mesa, Arizona native added more accolades to her resume, including Olympic athlete and U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year (2017). — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "How Olympian and Pro Soccer Player Julie Ertz Is Training for the 2019 Women's World Cup," 23 Feb. 2019 This vision — of free-range children and sustainable farming in an intentional, intergenerational community — came from Lisa Lloyd, a B.C. native who bought the 115-acre property 40 years ago. — Catherine M. Allchin, The Seattle Times, "Meals at Stowel Lake Farm celebrate its organic vegetable garden, and its intergenerational community," 5 Feb. 2019 This assumption was buoyed by various historical accounts, indicating that in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, natives dried and ground up cacao seeds to make gruels and beverages. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Chocolate has an even earlier origin than we thought, new study finds," 29 Oct. 2018 Officers found the Minnesota native alert and conscious, but highly intoxicated with a strong smell of alcohol in her breath, police said. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "'One of the worst DUI offenders in the US' arrested with liquor bottle in passenger seat: cops," 2 Oct. 2018 Well, apart from being Noah's fave, RJ is a Jacksonville, Florida native who moved with his entire family to LA in 2013 to pursue his love of acting, according to his IMDb page. — Alison Caporimo, Seventeen, "Noah Centineo Reveals His Fave Improv Scene From "Sierra Burgess" and It Doesn't Involve Shannon Purser," 11 Sep. 2018 Battling Aggressive Invaders Not all of the plants Ledford will use to support his game will be the grassland natives that Franklin would prefer, however. — Leslie Nemo, Scientific American, "From Defiled to Wild—Can a Spent Coal Mine Be Reborn as a Nature Conservation Center?," 11 July 2018 An Afghan native, Khalilzad was tapped by President George W. Bush to be his ambassador to Afghanistan after the overthrow of the Taliban following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. — Matthew Lee, The Seattle Times, "US appoints veteran envoy for Afghan peace effort," 4 Sep. 2018 The Flint native, Bridges (6 feet 7, 220 pounds) is considered one of the best two-way wing players in this year's draft. — George Stoia, Detroit Free Press, "2018 NBA draft: Michigan State's Miles Bridges traded to Charlotte Hornets," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'native.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.