as in indigenous
belonging to a particular place by birth or origin the fish is not an endemic species of the lake, and it is rapidly devouring the native trout population

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How is the word endemic distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of endemic are aboriginal, indigenous, and native. While all these words mean "belonging to a locality," endemic implies being peculiar to a region.

a disease endemic in Africa

When might aboriginal be a better fit than endemic?

The words aboriginal and endemic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, aboriginal implies having no known others preceding in occupancy of a particular region.

the aboriginal peoples of Australia

When would indigenous be a good substitute for endemic?

While in some cases nearly identical to endemic, 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

When is it sensible to use native instead of endemic?

In some situations, the words native and endemic are roughly equivalent. However, native implies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it.

native tribal customs

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of endemic The research team is calling for Chagas disease to be reclassified from nonendemic to endemic. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025 Ashia Wilson, a member of the Klamath Tribes who lives at the river’s headwaters, said that the week before the paddlers reached the mouth Upper Klamath Lake, the home to the endemic c’waam and koptu fish, is now too toxic to touch. Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025 Because lose-lose situations are so endemic to the genre, a hint of relief can sometimes accompany the prospect of surrender to the putrefying mob. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025 Decades ago, screwworms were endemic throughout Central America and the southern US. ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for endemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for endemic
Adjective
  • The two unnamed asylum seekers who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit are a Sahrawi man — part of an ethnic group indigenous to Western Sahara — who was arrested in June, and a Colombian man arrested in late May.
    Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The massive construction would also ensure that the Great Nicobarese—the other indigenous people—who were displaced from their homes on the western coast of the island by the tsunami in 2004, would be forced to abandon their dream of returning to their villages.
    M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The Verdict Lizard Island is rich with history (aboriginal and colonial) and is such an environmental wonder that researchers from around the world come here to study the reef.
    Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 30 May 2025
  • The American Kennel Club (AKC) explains that village dogs are also known as primitive, aboriginal, or landrace dogs.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Endemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/endemic. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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