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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of natives
Despite three tumultuous relocations in the past half-century, most recently a defection to Sin City five years ago, the Raiders still have a rabid fan base — at Allegiant, every game day is Halloween — and the natives and transplants (including 62,080 attendees Sunday) are getting restless.
—
Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
While Goldstein and the project’s general manager and mixologist Joseph Jebelean are Miami natives, neither are of Haitian descent (Goldstein is Jewish and Jebelean is half-Colombian and half-Romanian).
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Milwaukee natives Chauntee and Monique Ross are becoming familiar faces at 30 Rock.
—Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Other Dodgers fans include musicians and LA natives Billie Eilish and Finneas; rappers Ice Cube and Kendrick Lamar; and singers Brad Paisley and Tinashe, who were tapped to perform the National Anthem during Game 3 and Game 4 of this year’s World Series, respectively.
—Tim Chan, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Our friends, Middletown natives, cheered and poured drinks.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
Younger generations, meanwhile, are often digital natives, products of an education system that has systematically failed to teach reading, and are in many cases still contending with post-pandemic learning loss.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Both of our co-founders, along with much of our leadership team, are proud Kentucky natives.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
But two weeks later, the Michigan natives met again at a Detroit Red Wings hockey game, prompting Shepard to ask for Bell's number from Robertson.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
While Goldstein and the project’s general manager and mixologist Joseph Jebelean are Miami natives, neither are of Haitian descent (Goldstein is Jewish and Jebelean is half-Colombian and half-Romanian).
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Milwaukee natives Chauntee and Monique Ross are becoming familiar faces at 30 Rock.
—Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Other Dodgers fans include musicians and LA natives Billie Eilish and Finneas; rappers Ice Cube and Kendrick Lamar; and singers Brad Paisley and Tinashe, who were tapped to perform the National Anthem during Game 3 and Game 4 of this year’s World Series, respectively.
—Tim Chan, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Our friends, Middletown natives, cheered and poured drinks.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
Younger generations, meanwhile, are often digital natives, products of an education system that has systematically failed to teach reading, and are in many cases still contending with post-pandemic learning loss.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Both of our co-founders, along with much of our leadership team, are proud Kentucky natives.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
But two weeks later, the Michigan natives met again at a Detroit Red Wings hockey game, prompting Shepard to ask for Bell's number from Robertson.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natives
Noun
-
Below is a list of the top five books Cincinnati residents checked out the most in October, according to the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library system.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Yet, dedicated foodies are now heading instead to Greenville, a charming city of just more than 70,000 residents, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.—
Nevin Martell,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
From Jason Voorhees terrorizing all visitors of Camp Crystal Lake to Michael Myers persistently haunting the inhabitants of Haddonfield, Illinois, horror movies have relied on the silence and mystique of their main antagonists for decades.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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This mountain town of about 60,000 inhabitants was called home by a group of six athletes who would eventually become ski superstars in the 1950s.—
Chadner Navarro,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Rising sea levels and relentless storms are erasing land faster than locals – or officials – can respond.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Grab a beer at the pub or an ice cream from the shop; locals keep this one close to the chest.—
Alli Forde,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Natives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natives. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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