Synonyms of endemic

endemic

adjective

en-ˈde-mik 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• indigenous
• aboriginal
• native
• autochthonous
• local
• domestic
• born
• regional
• original

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• introduced
• foreign
• exotic
• nonindigenous
• nonnative
• strange
• alien
• immigrant
• transplanted
• imported
• expatriate

Synonym Chooser

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

Recent Examples of endemic

The virus is endemic in parts of Africa, particularly Central and West Africa, including countries like Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

This contributed to a 3.8 percent decrease in the total extent of Colombia's primary rain forest—a crucial habitat for many of the nation's endemic and threatened species, including birds, primates and amphibians. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 June 2025

Throughout, Perry’s documentary shares a problem endemic to thematic studies of movies, whether academic or popular: its cross-section is necessarily art-indifferent, and not all the footage here is enlivening. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 June 2025

This heavy dependency on a singular product rendered the company extremely vulnerable to demand fluctuations, especially as the pandemic shifted into an endemic stage. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

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