natives

Definition of nativesnext
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 Though Rob said a Yankees-Sacramento matchup would be somewhat bittersweet, there’s no doubt who the Orangevale natives would root for. Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2026 The furniture project was run by Contra Costa natives, all of whom are serving life sentences inside San Quentin for serious crimes, and has inspired similar work by men from Alameda County, the group’s organizers say. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 May 2026 The defendants, both natives of Azerbaijan, were convicted and sentenced to 25 years. ABC News, 27 May 2026 Some of these people were Canadian or American hockey fans, of course, but many of them were Swiss natives getting a rare glimpse of Crosby in person. Josh Yohe, New York Times, 26 May 2026 Notre Dame had four Massachusetts natives in the game in Colin Kenney (Hingham, Noble & Greenough), Jimmy Kenney (Needham), Teddy Lally (Norwell, Thayer) and Thomas Porell (Littleton, BB&N). Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 25 May 2026 Guiding foreign climbers to Everest and other peaks provides crucial family income to many Sherpas, natives of the ⁠Solukhumbu district ​where Everest is located. CNN Money, 18 May 2026 Karki and Tiwari, who also own several liquor stores across the metro, are Nepal natives who signed a five-year lease in December. Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 18 May 2026 On the food front, simply planting more natives is a great place to start. Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natives
Noun
  • Dozens of residents spoke out for and against the redesign of Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, where there are currently two beloved basketball courts, at the city commission meeting Tuesday night.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
  • Because the commentary occurred during the public comment portion of the council meeting, and since the incident was not on the agenda, council members did not respond to any of the residents comments or questions.
    Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • And though Tsalenjikha has a population of just 25,000, its inhabitants have had an outsized influence on Georgian history.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 29 May 2026
  • However, these early ballgames were unregulated, raucous and violent encounters of two parties formed by inhabitants of two villages or two neighborhoods.
    Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • That sense of exclusivity carries over to the rest of the public areas, and the fireplace lounge, which is as popular with guests as with locals, feels contained but not walled off.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
  • All the while, Upper West Side locals walked their little white dogs and hauled Fairway groceries past the throngs, looking confused.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 3 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Natives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natives. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

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