autochthonous
[ aw-tok-thuh-nuhs ]
/ ɔˈtɒk θə nəs /
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adjective
Ecology. pertaining to autochthons; aboriginal; indigenous (opposed to heterochthonous).
Pathology.
- found in the part of the body in which it originates, as a cancerous lesion.
- found in a locality in which it originates, as an infectious disease.
Psychology. of or relating to ideas that arise independently of the individual's own train of thought and seem instead to have some alien or external agency as their source.
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Also au·toch·tho·nal, au·toch·thon·ic [aw-tok-thon-ik]. /ˌɔ tɒkˈθɒn ɪk/.
Origin of autochthonous
First recorded in 1795–1805; autochthon + -ous
OTHER WORDS FROM autochthonous
au·toch·tho·nism, au·toch·tho·ny, nounau·toch·tho·nous·ly, adverbau·toch·tho·nous·ness, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use autochthonous in a sentence
After the lapse of time the theory of Autochthony (from autos, self, and chthon, earth) was laid aside.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome|E.M. Berens
British Dictionary definitions for autochthonous
autochthonous
autochthonic (ˌɔːtɒkˈθɒnɪk) or autochthonal
/ (ɔːˈtɒkθənəs) /
adjective
(of rocks, deposits, etc) found where they and their constituents were formedCompare allochthonous
inhabiting a place or region from earliest known times; aboriginal
physiol (of some functions, such as heartbeat) originating within an organ rather than from external stimulation
Derived forms of autochthonous
autochthonism or autochthony, nounautochthonously, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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