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 Indeed, where temperatures stay above 40 degrees, this hybrid of two South African natives blooms all twelve months of the year in coastal gardens. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025 The two Milwaukee natives and veterans of the fire department met occasionally for breakfast to discuss work and life. Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025 High school friends and Minnesota natives Cecelia Wilde, Lara Freeburg and Kinsey Greene reunited at the airport for a weekend trip visiting Greene at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025 The natives get restless with a quarter-and-a-half left. Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025 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 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
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
  • Following yet another renovation, the city’s inhabitants eventually relocated again to the quickly burgeoning city of Gothenburg, which remains a major center today.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The title refers to the series' universal optimism pandemic that has somehow swept the planet, creating one unnaturally cheerful global society out of the planet's billions of inhabitants.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 7 Nov. 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Natives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natives. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.

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