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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 Meanwhile, the Vandals boast Treasure Valley natives Brody Rowbury, Jack Payne and Jackson Rasmussen — the latter two former Owyhee High superstars in Meridian. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Oct. 2025 An impressive four-game winning streak followed a lopsided loss at Wazzu that had some natives not just restless but greasing skids and sharpening pitchforks. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2025 His parents were both Arkansas natives born in Searcy County in 1913. Arkansas Online, 11 Oct. 2025 Across southwest Georgia, there is a heavy Auburn fan presence, enough to draw in some Georgia natives. Seth Emerson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 When the south end natives randomly reconnected about five years ago at the radio station where Steiger worked, Tingle, who has been married twice and lived more than half a century as a straight man, was just coming to terms with being gay. Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Oct. 2025 While there are issues surrounding the advanced tech sweeping entry-level roles, the young digital natives are better prepared than most to adapt skill-wise. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025 However, Cuban natives are not eligible to apply for the 2026 round of the visa lottery, because more than 50,000 Cubans immigrated to the United States in the last five years, the department said. Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 Last October, Luke Combs and Eric Church, both North Carolina natives, staged a massive benefit show at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natives
Noun
  • The number of foreign residents has risen sharply in recent years, reaching a record 3 percent of the population in 2024, as Tokyo cautiously loosened visa rules for workers in key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and caregiving.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
  • If local housing development is allowed to continue on its current trajectory, houses in Gastonia will become completely unattainable for most of our residents.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Today, bats are its inhabitants, some 40,000 of them taking refuge in the darkness.
    Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Sustainable gardening is an environmentally friendly approach that protects the earth and its inhabitants by mimicking natural ecosystems, minimizing waste and conserving resources.
    Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After intermission, Williams and Johnson, both Nashville locals, spoke about the gentrification of their beloved Music City.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • While race relations during the Civil Rights Movement and Cold War fears prey on the minds of Derry's locals, another horror haunts the rural community.
    EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Natives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natives. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on natives

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!