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• aboriginal
  aboriginal

  adjective

  Sometimes Aboriginal. relating to or typical of the original or earliest known inhabitants of a region, or their descendants: aboriginal customs.
• Aboriginal
  Aboriginal

  adjective

  of, relating to, or characteristic of the indigenous peoples of Australia

aboriginal

American  

[ab-uh-rij-uh-nl] / ˌæb əˈrɪdʒ ə nl /

adjective

1. Sometimes Aboriginal. relating to or typical of the original or earliest known inhabitants of a region, or their descendants: aboriginal customs.

   the aboriginal people of Tahiti;

   aboriginal customs.

2. Aboriginal. relating to or being a member of any of the peoples who are the earliest known inhabitants of Australia, or one of their descendants.

   an Aboriginal tribe of Tasmania.

3. originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native; indigenous.

   aboriginal mammals of the Arctic.

   Synonyms:

   autochthonous, endemic

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noun

• aboriginals
  plural

1. Sometimes Aboriginal Aborigine.

2. Often Offensive. Aboriginal. Aborigine.

Aboriginal ¹ British  

/ ˌæbəˈrɪdʒɪnəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the indigenous peoples of Australia

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noun

1. another word for an Australian Aborigine

aboriginal ² British  

/ ˌæbəˈrɪdʒɪnəl /

adjective

1. existing in a place from the earliest known period; indigenous; autochthonous

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Usage

See Aborigine.

The Australian government suggests that the most exact and inclusive way of referring to the indigenous peoples of Australia is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples . Other terms which are acceptable are: Aboriginal people(s) , Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• aboriginality
  noun
• aboriginally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• aboriginals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aboriginal

First recorded in 1660–70; Aborigine + -al ¹

Explanation

The native, indigenous people of a country are often called aboriginals. In Canada, the First Nations — Inuits and Métis — would be considered aboriginals. The adjective form of aboriginal is used to describe anything related to the people native to an area. You may visit a museum that has an exhibit of aboriginal art; or, if you're a linguist, you may study aboriginal languages. The adjective can also be used to describe something that is indigenous to a place and existed there from the beginning, such as "an aboriginal forest" that consists of old, old trees.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aboriginal Aboriginal aboriginals

There are several ongoing aboriginal title claims in British Columbia, and the Cowichan decision could affect private-property owners in those regions as well.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025

Unique visitors to Eagle Feather News, a tiny aboriginal newspaper in Saskatchewan, plummeted from about 20,000 to 12,000 a month in the five months after the Facebook ban.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2024

With the ruling, the Nuchatlaht Nation of just 160 people has become the second-largest aboriginal titleholder in B.C.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2024

“The DNA study also provides the Blood Tribe/Kainai with a new line of evidence to help further treaty and aboriginal rights,” the study authors wrote to Science in a collaborative statement.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 3, 2024

At the opposite extreme, some aboriginal fishing groups of southeastern Australia devised elaborate technologies for managing fish populations, including the construction of canals, weirs, and standing traps.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

The GunaiKurnai, an Australian Aboriginal nation, are recognized as the traditional custodians of Gippsland and the southern Victorian Alps.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal Australians have hunted these majestic animals for food.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

Some didgeridoo instrumentalists believe its low-frequency sound waves can foster a state of health and harmony for those in the Aboriginal community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

“The core of this discussion really should be around CIRI’s Aboriginal indigenous rights,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Any incipient farmers in Aboriginal Australia would have faced similar cycles in their own populations.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

At the time Mr Dodson was the manager of one of the many “land councils” that aboriginals had formed in an effort to reclaim their traditional lands.

From Economist ● Jul. 5, 2018

The prince then travelled into Australia's Daintree Rainforest where he met the Kuku Yalanji aboriginals.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2018

After the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s findings were released in 2015, universities across the country publicly vowed to close the graduation gap between mainstream Canadians and aboriginals, only 9.8 percent of whom have university degrees.

From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2017

Parks Canada will determine ownership in conjunction with the Inuit aboriginals in the northernmost Canadian territory of Nunavut and unnamed “government organizations”, the agency said, without giving details.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 26, 2016

A lawful government appropriates the land and protects the aboriginals, supporting its enactments by penalties.

From History of European Morals From Augustus to Charlemagne (Vol. 1 of 2) by William Edward Hartpole Lecky

Related Words

• earliest
• original