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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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

Lyles, a Silver Spring native and former DeMatha standout, devoted three years of his college career to UMBC. — Katherine Fominykh, baltimoresun.com, "Jairus Lyles, star of UMBC's historic NCAA tournament team, signs with Jazz," 12 July 2018 East End native and local banking executive Teresa Morales is Mayor Sylvester Turner’s latest nominee for the Metropolitan Transit Authority board, Houston officials announced Thursday. — Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, "East End native nominated for Houston spot on Metro transit board," 6 July 2018 Boone County native and Ohio resident James Alex Fields pleaded not guilty to federal hate crimes on Thursday in a deadly attack on protesters Aug. 12 in Charlottesville, Virginia. — Robert Strickley, Cincinnati.com, "NKY native James Alex Fields pleads not guilty in Charlottesville attack," 5 July 2018 Various fruits are used (like cherries), along with some native and hybrid grapes, but close to three out of four bottles of Michigan wine come from European wine grapes. — Michael Austin, chicagotribune.com, "Explore Michigan's diverse wine scene, one of the country's most exciting developing regions," 5 July 2018 Founded by Nisha Kanabar, who is from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Georgia Bobley, a native New Yorker, the site acts as a platform to connect African designers with a global audience. — Georgia Murray, refinery29.com, "Where To Find The Coolest African Designers Online," 28 June 2018 Nearby, James Corner Field Operations, of New York City’s Highline Fame, converted the dead zone of a sprawling parking lot into Tongva Park, a six-acre urban oasis exquisitely landscaped with native and drought-tolerant species. — Matt Jaffe, SFChronicle.com, "Green travel in (gasp!) Los Angeles is easier than you think," 19 June 2018 Soon-Shiong, a 65-year-old South African native and former UCLA surgeon, has amassed a fortune, estimated by Forbes at $7.5 billion, by building, then selling, two biopharmaceutical companies. — Meg James, latimes.com, "Historic sale of the L.A. Times to billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong to close on Monday," 16 June 2018 The botanical collection includes native and drought-tolerant species. — Jill K. Robinson, San Francisco Chronicle, "Santa Barbara serenity abounds in region’s 5 best public gardens," 14 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Graham, a 6-foot-2 native of Raleigh, N.C., will be out indefinitely, the team said. — Gary Bedore, kansascity, "Devonté Graham suffers injury to right knee, according to report from NBA’s Hornets," 11 July 2018 Privacy - Terms Biyombo, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a rim protector. — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Reports: Trade could send Bismack Biyombo back to the Charlotte Hornets," 7 July 2018 Robert Parker, a native of Tampa Bay, Fla., oversees business operations, including the extensive bourbon menu and craft cocktails. — Vickie Snow Jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: Girl in the Park in Orland Park," 5 July 2018 Ellison, a native of Sweden, and Maralack, from Snoqualmie, Wash., each had 3.63. ... — courant.com, "Regional Digest: Hamburger Leads Bees Past Ducks, 4-1," 5 July 2018 As a native of San Luis Obispo County, my notion of great trees consisted of gnarled coast live oaks crowning golden-grassed hills. — Robert Earle Howells, SFChronicle.com, "Should we hide the locations of Earth’s greatest trees?," 3 July 2018 Green, a 31-year-old native of Hyattsville, has career averages of 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. — baltimoresun.com, "Digest (July 3): Riverdale's Frances Tiafoe survives four-set match at Wimbledon," 3 July 2018 Through the club, the native of Southbury, Connecticut, has helped spread the word by providing her classmates with service opportunities, and teaching them about global health disparities. — Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, "Meet the Deserving U.S. Teens Who Are Being Honored by Charity in Princess Diana's Name," 2 July 2018 Ridley, a Fort Lauderdale native, held his inaugural Bowling For The Boys charity and fundraising event at Davie bowling alley Bowlero on Thursday night with proceeds going to the TUFF Start program. — David Furones, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Calvin Ridley holds charity bowling event to raise funds for program that helped him in his youth," 13 July 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.