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• Native American
  Native American

  noun

  Indian.
• native American
  native American

  noun

  a person born in the United States.

Native American

¹ American  

[ney-tiv uh-mer-i-kuhn] / ˈneɪ tɪv əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

noun

1. Indian.

2. a member of any of the aboriginal peoples of the Americas, including Indians and non-Indians.

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native American ² American  

noun

1. a person born in the United States.

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Native American British  

noun

1. A member of the indigenous peoples of North America

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Native Americans or any of their languages

Sensitive Note

See Indian, Eskimo.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• native-American
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of native American

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

The findings may also prove valuable for Native American tribes located within or near the park.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

Braddock’s column was ambushed by French and Native American forces at the Battle of the Monongahela.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

A song clip from Native American author and poet John Trudell.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Based on thorough research of published and unpublished sources, as well as Native American oral tradition, the book gives this well-known story a fresh breadth of implication.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Although the three-migrations theory was widely attacked, it spurred geneticists to pursue research into Native American origins.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann