indigenous

[in-dij-uh-nuh s]

adjective

originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often followed by to): the plants indigenous to Canada; the indigenous peoples of southern Africa.
innate; inherent; natural (usually followed by to): feelings indigenous to human beings.

Origin of indigenous

1640–50; < Latin indigen(a) native, original inhabitant (indi-, by-form of in- in-² (cf. indagate) + -gena, derivative from base of gignere to bring into being; cf. genital, genitor) + -ous

Related formsin·dig·e·nous·ly, adverbin·dig·e·nous·ness, in·di·gen·i·ty

[in-di-jen-i-tee] /ˌɪn dɪˈdʒɛn ɪ ti/, nounnon·in·dig·e·nous, adjectiveun·in·dig·e·nous, adjectiveun·in·dig·e·nous·ly, adverb

Can be confusedendogenous indigenous

Synonyms

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

1. autochthonous, aboriginal, natural.

Antonyms

1. foreign, alien.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for indigenous

Contemporary Examples

Seattle is one of the most recent, with its city council voting this year to adopt the indigenous version of the holiday.
Keep the Holiday, Lose Columbus
Carrie Gibson
October 13, 2014
Grown in the jungle by the indigenous Kichwa, guayusa (gwhy-you-sa) is a sacred leaf used in ceremonial rituals.
Bye Bye Latté, Hello Guayusa: Why The Amazon Holds the Secret to a Cleaner, Healthier Caffeine
Brandon Presser
August 29, 2014
The vine and the ceremony are deeply entwined with South American indigenous religions of the Amazon.
Spirit Tripping With Colombian Shamans
Chris Allbritton
August 24, 2014
Paris, it would appear, had been liberated solely by indigenous Frenchmen: citizens, irregulars, and soldiers.
Who Liberated Paris in August 1944?
August 24, 2014
The Social Realism and Muralist Movements from artists like Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco worked with indigenous crafts.
Shining a Spotlight on Mexico’s Iconic Textile—the Rebozo
Liza Foreman
June 16, 2014

Historical Examples

The offspring of pride, and lust, and avarice, it is indigenous to the world.
The Works of Whittier, Volume VII (of VII)
John Greenleaf Whittier
Grandeur, however, like sentiment, is not indigenous to the hearth.
Roden's Corner
Henry Seton Merriman
Tobacco is indigenous in Mexico, and derives its name from Tabaco in Yucatan.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou
There is not the slightest doubt that the Cotton plant is indigenous to Peru.
The Story of the Cotton Plant
Frederick Wilkinson
There are no indigenous breeds of either cattle or sheep in this country.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 5, May, 1864
Various

British Dictionary definitions for indigenous

indigenous

adjective (when postpositive, foll by to)

originating or occurring naturally (in a country, region, etc); native
innate (to); inherent (in)

Derived Formsindigenously, adverbindigenousness or indigenity (ˌɪndɪˈdʒɛnɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin

C17: from Latin indigenus, from indigena indigene, from indi- in + gignere to beget

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for indigenous

adj.

1640s, from Late Latin indigenus "born in a country, native," from Latin indigena "sprung from the land," as a noun, "a native," literally "in-born," or "born in (a place)," from Old Latin indu "in, within" (earlier endo) + *gene-, root of gignere (perf. genui) "beget," from PIE *gen- "produce" (see genus).

indigenous in Science

indigenous

[ĭn-dĭj′ə-nəs]

Native to a particular region or environment but occurring naturally in other places as well. The American black bear is indigenous to many different parts of North America. Compare alien endemic.

indigenous

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Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples from the Web for indigenous

Contemporary Examples

Seattle is one of the most recent, with its city council voting this year to adopt the indigenous version of the holiday.

Grown in the jungle by the indigenous Kichwa, guayusa (gwhy-you-sa) is a sacred leaf used in ceremonial rituals.

The vine and the ceremony are deeply entwined with South American indigenous religions of the Amazon.

Paris, it would appear, had been liberated solely by indigenous Frenchmen: citizens, irregulars, and soldiers.

The Social Realism and Muralist Movements from artists like Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco worked with indigenous crafts.

Historical Examples

The offspring of pride, and lust, and avarice, it is indigenous to the world.

Grandeur, however, like sentiment, is not indigenous to the hearth.

Tobacco is indigenous in Mexico, and derives its name from Tabaco in Yucatan.

There is not the slightest doubt that the Cotton plant is indigenous to Peru.

There are no indigenous breeds of either cattle or sheep in this country.

indigenous

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for indigenous

adj.

indigenous

Origin of indigenous