native

adjective na·tive \ ˈnā-tiv \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: native in a Sentence

Definition of native

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

6 a : 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

8 a : 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 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

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natively

adverb

—

nativeness

noun

See native defined for English-language learners

See native defined for kids

Examples of native in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of native from the Web

The initiative recognizes those who landscape their grounds or yards using plant species native to northwestern Indiana.

— staff report, Post-Tribune, "Community news," 6 July 2018
Meanwhile, back in Lotto’s native Venice, a younger upstart named Titian would soon hog the limelight, moving the artistic center of Italy northward but leaving little room for the likes of the returning Lotto.

— j.s. marcus, WSJ, "A Modern Portraitist, Ahead of His Time," 6 July 2018
Now in his 20th season in professional baseball, the Beaumont, Texas, native looks back fondly at his time in the Twins organization, including in the Hardware City.

— christopher hanna, courant.com, "Lew Ford Returns To New Britain A Different Man Than He Was Years Ago," 6 July 2018
According to Sky Sports, the 22-year-old is close to sealing a deal to move back to his native Spain to join Real Sociedad in a move thought to be worth up to £10m.

— SI.com, "Newcastle Set to Start Summer Clearout as Midfielder Edges Closer to La Liga Switch," 6 July 2018
Established native garden plants should need no irrigation through summer.

— nan sterman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "July in the garden," 5 July 2018
Part of the reason may be overfishing of native species, Páramo Delgadillo said in an email.

— tara duggan, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area men’s plan to market invasive fish from Mexico hits snag in U.S.," 2 July 2018
South Florida's booming iguana population is causing officials to look at ways to manage the non-native species.

— ellie rushing, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Chicken of the trees: Eating South Florida's iguanas," 29 June 2018
Bowfishing for non-game fish and non-native species is perfectly legal in Texas, and can be a wonderful, challenging outdoor activity if pursued ethically and legally.

— shannon tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Boat ramps a gateway to fun or frustration," 28 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.

Origin and Etymology of native

Middle English natif, from Middle French, from Latin nativus, from natus, past participle of nasci to be born — more at nation

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

native Synonyms

Phrases

in one's blood;

Synonym Discussion of native

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

native

noun

Definition of native

1 : one born or reared in a particular place

2 a : 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

See native defined for English-language learners

Examples of native in a Sentence

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 of native from the Web

Charlotte native William Byron, who was leading at the time, escaped, as did Kyle Busch and Stenhouse, but only for a moment.

— brendan marks, charlotteobserver, "NASCAR: Controversial Daytona race ends with Erik Jones' first-ever win in double OT," 7 July 2018
For Jones, a Michigan native driving in his first season for Joe Gibbs Racing, the breakthrough victory came in his 57th career start.

— mark long, chicagotribune.com, "Erik Jones gets first Cup win in crash-filled race at Daytona," 7 July 2018
The 40-year-old Grant, an Atlanta native who attended Westminster Schools, has impressive conservative credentials.

— bill rankin, ajc, "Trump packs influential Atlanta court with conservative judges," 6 July 2018
Silva, a Texas native, was the driver of a van with two other women suspected of stealing $700 worth of baby clothes from a Marshalls department store.

— michael williams, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Shoplifting suspect shot 4 times in fatal Orlando officer-involved shooting, autopsy shows," 6 July 2018
Trump EPA chief Scott Pruitt resigns as ethical scandals mount Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, a Kentucky native, resigned Thursday.

— louisville courier journal, The Courier-Journal, "Bevin pays up, Scott Pruitt is out, it's hot: Things to know Friday," 6 July 2018
But for Houston natives who've been around the block, these spots can get pretty stale.

— fernando ramirez, Houston Chronicle, "New things to do in Houston even natives don't know about," 6 July 2018
Erin Kawaye, a California native, is the other principal on the American side.

— patrick z. mcgavin, Aurora Beacon-News, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: Endiro Coffee in Aurora," 6 July 2018
The unity on display Wednesday was heartwarming for Katelyn Maudlin, a Noblesville native preparing to enter her sophomore year at Ball State.

— justin l. mack, Indianapolis Star, "Ella Whistler and Jason Seaman lead the Noblesville Fourth of July parade," 4 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of native

see ¹native

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1535

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

native Synonyms

Synonyms

local, townie (or towny);

Near Antonyms

excursionist, sightseer, traveler (or traveller);

holidayer, vacationer, vacationist;

NATIVE Defined for English Language Learners

native

adjective

Definition of native for English Language Learners

: born in a particular place
—used to refer to the place where a person was born and raised
: belonging to a person since birth or childhood

native

noun

Definition of native for English Language Learners

: a person who was born or raised in a particular place
: a person from a group of people who were living in an area (such as South America or Africa) when Europeans first arrived
: a kind of plant or animal that originally grew or lived in a particular place

NATIVE Defined for Kids

native

adjective na·tive \ ˈnā-tiv \

Definition of native for Students

1 : born in a certain place or country

He's a native Belgian.

2 : belonging to a person because of place of birth

His parents speak their native language at home.

3 : living or growing naturally in a certain region

native plants

4 : grown, produced, or coming from a certain place

native tomatoes

native art

5 : natural 3

He's a swimmer with native ability.

Word Root of native

The Latin word nāscī, meaning “to be born,” and its form nātus give us the roots nat and nai. Words from the Latin nāscī have something to do with being born. When someone is native to a particular place, she or he was born there. A nation, or country, is a place where people are born. Anyone naive has a lack of knowledge and experience as if he or she was only recently born.