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

Example Sentences

Out of desperation she turned to Native American music, one of his favourite genres to relax to.

From BBC

The Santa Monica native lobbied for various environmental causes onscreen and off, including Native American rights, offshore oil drilling and global warming.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s part Native American and part Latino, and 100% against policies like this one that target people by skin color.

From Los Angeles Times

In the 1999 fantasy drama The Green Mile, Greene played Arlen Bitterbuck, a Native American man on death row in prison.

From BBC

Later, he worked with University of California President Michael V. Drake on a Native American remains repatriation program.

From Los Angeles Times