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.

---

native American ² American  

noun

1. a person born in the United States.

---

Native American British  

noun

1. A member of the indigenous peoples of North America

---

adjective

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

Sensitive Note

See Indian, Eskimo.

Other Word Forms

• native-American adjective

Etymology

Origin of native American

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

Based on thorough research of published and unpublished sources, as well as Native American oral tradition, the book gives this well-known story a fresh breadth of implication.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

In all of the tension around the founding and the founding documents, there lurks this question of Native American belonging and exclusion and citizenship.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

A member of the Cherokee Nation, the 48-year-old Republican senator from the central state of Oklahoma is currently the only Native American serving in the US Senate.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Since joining the Journal from the New York Times in 2014, Dan has covered a broad range of topics and regions—from gun violence to Native American health care to the Rocky Mountain West.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Maine, Mr. Reed tells them, is the only state in the nation that requires schools to teach Native American culture and history.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline