natives

plural of native
1
as in residents
a usually longtime resident of a locality the natives seem to resent the summer tourists even though they depend upon them for their livelihood

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2
as in aborigines
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

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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 natives John Krasinski and Matt Damon are good friends, both proud Boston natives. Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026 Rainfall actually began late Friday during concurrent headlining Lollapalooza appearances by pop star Charli XCX and 90s alternative rockers, and Chicagoland natives, Smashing Pumpkins. Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Mata-Real was a key figure who led UCLA to three straight Final Four appearances in 2006, 2007 and 2008 alongside fellow LA natives like Taft alum Jordan Farmar, Westchester’s Arron Afflalo and Fairfax’s Josh Shipp. Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026 Syrian natives Karam and Noor have spent long days this summer sitting in the respite of their small New Haven apartment, listening to the gentle buzz of the air conditioner and the hum of Karam’s dialysis machine. Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026 The 10 men, all Venice natives, will come to people's homes or businesses and get encampments or people living on sidewalks, doorsteps and yards to leave. Laurie Perez, CBS News, 31 July 2026 Spadaro, who joined Smith at Friday’s audience, said the encounter between the two Chicago natives was around 40 minutes long. ABC News, 31 July 2026 The natives are restless, but as far as I (or anyone else, for that matter) can tell, leadership doesn't seem to be in a big rush to show Dabo the door. Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 As Jesuit missions and Spanish colonization took over the continent in the 16th century, mate was popularized across other countries and between settlers and natives alike to become the region’s largest export. Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natives
Noun
  • And some have speculated that the Midwestern city and its some 15,000 Haitians residents would be a focus of arrests after TPS ended.
    Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • For generations, the 103-year-old Catholic parish has been a beacon of solace and resistance for residents angry about the latest indignity to befall the historic heart of Latino Los Angeles.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • But Kova is shocked to discover her sweetheart taking up with someone new, who may be linked to the monsters dragging Stormwatch’s inhabitants into the ocean.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The Nazca Lines are a group of extensive geoglyphs scraped into the desert around Nazca centuries ago by Peru’s Indigenous inhabitants.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • But now that the reception has ended, MARTA should capitalize on some locals’ new romance with transit and keep that spark alive.
    Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But the city that prides itself on being home to four cultures was still grappling with the aftermath of the border surge, with locals disagreeing on what caused it and who exactly is to blame.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Natives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natives. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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