1
as in indigenous
belonging to a particular place by birth or origin
though she now lived in the Northeast, she was a native Midwesterner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crude
being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining
diamonds in their native state are not the bright, flashy gems that one might imagine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inherent
being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing
a native energy and ambition that would allow him to rise above his humble beginnings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in resident
a usually longtime resident of a locality
the natives seem to resent the summer tourists even though they depend upon them for their livelihood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aborigine
a member of the first people to inhabit a region
the anthropologist spent two years living among the island's natives and observing and documenting their customs and traditions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of native
Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Coyne Schofield’s Minnesota Frost recently visited Allstate Arena in Rosemont on the league’s Takeover Tour to face the Ottawa Charge and Joliet native Taylor House.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
Simpson, 45, is a New Orleans native who fled to Oklahoma as a Hurricane Katrina refugee in 2005.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for native
Adjective
For Detroit, King’s death marks the passing of a native son who carried the city’s grit, discipline and cultural urgency onto the national stage.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Coyne Schofield’s Minnesota Frost recently visited Allstate Arena in Rosemont on the league’s Takeover Tour to face the Ottawa Charge and Joliet native Taylor House.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
Feltner, a Florida native, spent his offseason living in a small Quonset hut-style home next to the Intracoastal Waterway in South Florida.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
Simpson, 45, is a New Orleans native who fled to Oklahoma as a Hurricane Katrina refugee in 2005.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for native
Recent Examples of Synonyms for native
Adjective
-
Were costumes for the Ash People and Wind Traders, introduced in this film, inspired by particular indigenous communities?—
Ingrid Schmidt,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Other monikers from indigenous tribes for this month’s full moon include the sleet moon from the Comanche people, the Creek tribe’s wind moon and the crow moon as named by the Shawnee.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The inherent disagreement isn’t about those facts.—
Steve Booren,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
-
For all the inherent sadness of its subject matter, Mouse is never depressing, thanks to the delicacy of O’Sullivan and Thompson’s filmmaking.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Valparaíso colorful houses and civic buildings reflect the diversity of its residents—an international mix of merchants and sailors has occupied the town for hundreds of years.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Local leaders often do their best to preserve open space and defray the costs that new residents and businesses will inevitably bring.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Guanches were aborigines of the Canary Islands.—
JP Mangalindan,
Peoplemag,
21 Feb. 2024
-
The bill’s sponsors insisted their motives were not racist, although, one of the sponsors, state Sen. Scott Beason, later recorded himself referring to black people as aborigines while wearing a wire for the FBI.—
Kyle Whitmire,
al,
22 Nov. 2019
Adjective
-
Once an aboriginal title is recognized, its holders can collect formal and informal rents from those who seek to develop what is Indigenous land.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
27 Dec. 2025
-
The woman is also described as aboriginal, around 5 foot tall, wearing a black beanie, white T-shirt, and maroon hoodie.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
3 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Over half were additives typically added to ultraprocessed foods; the rest were more natural options, such as the use of lemon juice as a preservative or beet juice for color.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Moving to Charlotte has opened the door to the incredible natural beauty the Carolinas are known for — the mountains, lakes, forests and everything in between.—
Shindy Chen
February 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The unique mineral composition also gives the stones an intrinsic ability to curl along their trajectory.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
So even Socrates, in his defense of the intrinsic goodness of justice, emphasizes the crucial role played by visibility and the corrupting power of hiddenness and anonymity.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The rest of the world’s living inhabitants don’t have it so good.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Its provinces, including Albacete, form part of what is known as ’empty Spain’, given their inhabitants often move from the countryside to the big cities for work.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Native.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/native. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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