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

• native-American adjective

Etymology

Origin of native American

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

Native Americans were forcibly removed from their lands in the development of this nation and enslaved people were brought to America involuntarily.

From Los Angeles Times

In early voyages to the New World, Euro Americans brought their ideas about identity, spirituality, ethnicity and skin color as they first encountered Native Americans.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Inspired, Pratt sold his first painting while still in high school—a Crucifixion scene, in which all the characters were Native Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal

These days, Greenlanders are shocked by how few words their brethren can speak in their ancestral tongue—and by the poverty of Native Americans in Alaska.

From The Wall Street Journal