aboriginal

[ab-uh-rij-uh-nl]

See more synonyms for aboriginal on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or typical of aborigines: aboriginal customs.
original or earliest known; native; indigenous: the aboriginal people of Tahiti.

noun

aborigine(def 1).
(initial capital letter) aborigine(def 2).

Origin of aboriginal

First recorded in 1660–70; aborigine + -al¹

Related formsab·o·rig·i·nal·i·ty, nounab·o·rig·i·nal·ly, adverb

Synonyms for aboriginal

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2. endemic, autochthonous, primordial.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for aboriginal

primitive, ancient, primary, native, original, endemic, first, earliest, indigenous, primeval, primordial

Examples from the Web for aboriginal

Contemporary Examples of aboriginal

The day just gets more upsetting when we hear about aboriginal rights in Canada.
Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero
Darren Aronofsky
September 19, 2014
The cover story is about how over 1,000 aboriginal women have gone missing since 1980.
Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero
Darren Aronofsky
September 19, 2014
“At that time, Aboriginal people were only just granted citizenship,” Briggs tells the Daily Beast.
‘The Sapphires’: Tony Briggs and His Mum on Racism in Australia, Music & More
Jean Trinh
March 22, 2013
One Sapphire, Kay, falls for a black soldier, even as she struggles with her Aboriginal identity.
‘The Sapphires’: Tony Briggs and His Mum on Racism in Australia, Music & More
Jean Trinh
March 22, 2013
An all-girl Aboriginal quartet sings in war-torn Vietnam in ‘The Sapphires,’ out today.
‘The Sapphires’: Tony Briggs and His Mum on Racism in Australia, Music & More
Jean Trinh
March 22, 2013

Historical Examples of aboriginal

What is the aboriginal Self, on which a universal reliance may be grounded?
Essays, First Series
Ralph Waldo Emerson
This name is aboriginal, and signifies "The place where things are made."
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou
Every vestige of aboriginal architecture has disappeared from the surface of the city.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou
May we not say that this is what takes place in an aboriginal tribe?
Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative, Vol. I
Herbert Spencer
In Spain it is difficult to find any traces of the aboriginal religions.
The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism
Franz Cumont

British Dictionary definitions for aboriginal

aboriginal

adjective

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

Derived Formsaboriginally, adverb

Aboriginal

adjective

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

noun

another word for an Australian Aborigine

usage

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for aboriginal

adj.

1660s, "first, earliest," especially in reference to inhabitants of lands colonized by Europeans, from aborigines (see aborigine) + -al (1); specific Australian sense is from 1820. The noun is attested from 1767. Related: Aboriginally.