as in foreign
being, relating to, or characteristic of a country other than one's own
nonnative customs that made the recent immigrants stand out in their new country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stranger
a person who is not native to or known to a community
the problems encountered by a nonnative after moving into a close-knit community
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 nonnative
Saleen Martin, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
The Erie Canal and its adjacent feeder rivers and reservoirs likely enabled two voracious nonnative species, the Atlantic sea lamprey and alewife, to enter the Great Lakes ecosystem.
—Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
The eel, along with other invasive species, are gaining more of a foothold in the southeastern United States, causing concern among resource and wildlife managers, along with state and local agencies tasked with minimizing adverse effects of nonnative plants and animals.
—Wesley Bruer, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Some states began killing the nonnative swans over the animal welfare groups’ objections.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Four nonnative tick species have been identified in the state in recent years.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Typically, nonnative species are introduced to areas accidentally through cargo or escapes from captivity.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
The Erie Canal and its adjacent feeder rivers and reservoirs likely enabled two voracious nonnative species, the Atlantic sea lamprey and alewife, to enter the Great Lakes ecosystem.
—Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
The eel, along with other invasive species, are gaining more of a foothold in the southeastern United States, causing concern among resource and wildlife managers, along with state and local agencies tasked with minimizing adverse effects of nonnative plants and animals.
—Wesley Bruer, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Some states began killing the nonnative swans over the animal welfare groups’ objections.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Four nonnative tick species have been identified in the state in recent years.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonnative
Adjective
-
Visitors to K’gari are warned of the risks, but James says young foreign nationals like his daughter, who work on the island, need firmer guardrails.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people, including foreign nationals, remain held in the detention camps.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Your words carry impact, so an introduction to a stranger or setting a simple boundary with a relative could become a statement about your direction.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Others bled to death on sidewalks or on the backs of strangers who had tried to carry them to safety.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Zaremba, who immigrated to Sweden from Poland as a teen-ager, in 1969, noted that those who had grown up in Sweden couldn’t see the value of such a project to foreigners.—
Colton Valentine,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Camp officials told The New Humanitarian news site in November that al-Hol's population was currently about 26,000 people — including about 6,000 foreigners from around 60 countries, excluding Iraq.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
So, a massive alien falling onto it is an undeniable presence, looming over everything.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
-
David Bowie personally appears on the cover of 24 of his solo albums, depicting himself as a bowl-cut heartthrob, an androgynous blond, a space alien in human disguise, a cigarette-smoking lounge creature, a sideways pair of legs, and an oddly undersized boxer.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonnative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonnative. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
