NATIVES Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

natives

noun

plural of native

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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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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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 The fund backs music and arts curriculums in public schools inspired by Brooklyn natives Jean-Michel Basquiat and Max Roach. — James Laforge, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026 Columbus, for all his accomplishments in exploration, also had a brutal history of killing, raping, and enslaving natives, and forcing cultural assimilation and Christianity during his conquest of the Americas. — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026 Go with natives When choosing plants, first consider natives. — Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Many of them are Philadelphia natives, too, and expressed the spirit of generosity that exists in the city. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026 These are not tools simply meant for AI experts or even digital natives. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026 Other Miami natives involved with the production showed up for the cameras, like the play’s choreographer Patricia Delgado, a Coral Reef Senior High graduate. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 While Lee’s Summit natives are celebrating their new Costco, Midtown residents are saying goodbye — at least temporarily — to their spot at 241 Linwood Blvd. — Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026 Young professionals entering the workforce today are digital natives. — Kent Ingle, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for natives

Noun

DeSantis also warned residents far outside the cone to watch for tornadoes, which can spawn before the core of Isaias moves ashore.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Older residents here repeat a mantra that the country has been through worse, notably when Iraq launched Scud missiles in 1991 during the first Gulf War.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of residents

Noun

Unfailingly, the advice from both locals and fellow travelers insisted on reservations at chef Frank Stitt and his wife Pardis's restaurants, foundational not just in the course of Birmingham's food history but the country's.

— Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Toward the song’s end, Maines addresses Buddy Holly, another Lubbock native whom locals cast aside.

— Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of locals

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natives

nativism

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“Natives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natives. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of natives

noun

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