non-native

adjective

non-na·​tive ˌnän-ˈnā-tiv How to pronounce non-native (audio)
variants or nonnative
: not native: such as
a
of a plant or animal : living or growing in a place that is not the location of its natural occurrence
a non-native fish species
… overgrazing causes grasslands to give way to sagebrush, mesquite and non-native exotic grasses, environmentalists contend.Doug McInnis
b
: not born or raised in the place where a particular language is spoken
non-native inhabitants
a nonnative speaker of English [=a person who speaks English but whose native language is not English]
non-native noun
or nonnative
plural non-natives or nonnatives
popular among both natives and non-natives

Examples of non-native in a Sentence

nonnative customs that made the recent immigrants stand out in their new country
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Addressing the barriers through technology and adaptive learning strategies will ensure that Arabic language learning becomes more accessible to non-native speakers. Geoffrey Alphonso, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025 Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, a Black man known as the city’s first non-native settler, sold his properties in Chicago. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025 And when that burns up, it is replaced by non-native grasses oftentimes, and that’s a big concern. Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025 The clock is ticking, however, as the bone collector is extremely rare and in danger of extinction, due to the large number of invasive species—especially non-native ants and parasitic wasps—that have found their way to Hawaii. ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for non-native

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of non-native was in 1845

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Cite this Entry

“Non-native.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-native. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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