Native American

¹

[ney-tiv uh-mer-i-kuhn]

noun

1. Indian.

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

native American

²

noun

1. a person born in the United States.

Native American

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Native American¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45