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 In 1972, Little Feat expanded to a six-piece that included two Delaney & Bonnie sidemen who were Louisiana natives, bassist Kenny Gradney and percussionist Sam Clayton. Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026 Carter and Hammer are Oakland natives, and Carter was Hammer’s lead choreographer and backup dancer at the peak of the rapper’s career in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Landscape architects, developers, and institutions are taking note and considering how trees, natives, water, habitat, and access to green space can be integrated into spaces to support people’s overall well-being. Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 2026 Yes, although there are many more options among those that sell both native plants and non-native plants than nurseries that only sell local natives. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2026 Two Cincinnati natives have topped Rolling Stone's Most Influential Creators of 2026 list. Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026 At this point, researchers say, invasives outnumber the natives. Alex Harris august 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Where these botanical natives failed to establish, invasive plants were moving in. Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 24 Aug. 2026 All are German natives and Peterka and Reichel both represented Germany at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natives
Noun
  • Officers located two additional adult suspects, also Sacramento residents.
    Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The 2026 midterm elections are also demonstrating how issues that begin as disputes between local governments and residents can spread across the country and become part of national political identities.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The cave’s inhabitants also extracted marrow from bones for sustenance, according to the study.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Shakhtar Donetsk Watching Champions League evenings unfold at Stamford Bridge without its usual inhabitants, Chelsea, will take some getting used to.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Along the way, Rice helped to schedule events in various NFL cities, including ride-alongs with locals and tours around stadiums.
    Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Traditional political parties were banned, and a council of locals began directly managing the town’s funds.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Natives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natives. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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