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

Recent Examples on the Web But local residents worry about the fate of local wildlife like deer and eagles that get stuck in the muddy grounds and mourn the loss of non-native fish that inhabited the reservoirs' warm-water layers. The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024 The 55-year-old then became the second non-native coach of Slovakia in 2022 and oversaw the Falcon’s successful Euro 2024 qualification campaign. David Ferrini, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 But in Antarctica, where there are no native moths, spotting the insect could only mean one thing—a non-native species had been introduced to the continent. Popular Science, 15 Feb. 2024 Even the first step to finding an in-language psychologist – looking for someone covered by insurance – can be intimidating or impossible for some non-native English speakers. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 On the other hand, non-native writers at essay services often have an excellent command of English. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 Established by Jim Duke, a U.S. Department of Agriculture botanist, and his wife, Peggy, the garden is home to more than 300 native and non-native species of plants that have been researched or used traditionally for medicinal purposes, according to its website. Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2024 Though the researchers have documented an especially complex set of interactions, these kinds of ecosystem effects are probably increasingly happening as non-native species move around the globe. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024 All of the dominant ant species are non-native species. Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'non-native.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near non-native

Cite this Entry

“Non-native.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-native. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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