non-native

adjective

non-na·​tive ˌnän-ˈnā-tiv 

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

Synonyms of non-native

• foreign

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

Over the last 50 years, industrial tree plantations have sprung up in the region, growing mainly non-native pines and eucalyptus, which are especially flammable. —Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026

Several varieties are adapted to the garden, including native and non-native species. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026

The sale will feature native and non-native flowering plants that attract bees and other pollinators. —Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026

In some ways, non-native plants help stabilize soils while native species get a foothold. —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for non-native

• creative
• locative
• nonnative
• probative
• rotative
• accommodative
• accumulative
• adjudicative
• administrative
• agglutinative
• ameliorative
• appreciative