indigenous

[in-dij-uh-nuhs]

adjective

1. originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often followed byto ).

   the plants indigenous to Canada.

   Synonyms: natural, aboriginal, autochthonous
   Antonyms: exotic, foreign

2. Indigenous. relating to or being a people who are the original, earliest known inhabitants of a region, or are their descendants: the Indigenous languages of the Americas.

   the Indigenous Maori of New Zealand;

   the Indigenous languages of the Americas.

3. innate; inherent; natural (usually followed byto ).

   feelings indigenous to human beings.

indigenous

/ ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs, ˌɪndɪˈdʒɛnɪtɪ /

adjective

1. originating or occurring naturally (in a country, region, etc); native

2. innate (to); inherent (in)

indigenous

1. Native to a particular region or environment but occurring naturally in other places as well. The American black bear is indigenous to many different parts of North America.

2. Compare alien endemic

Other Word Forms

• indigenously adverb
• indigenousness noun
• indigenity noun
• nonindigenous adjective
• unindigenous adjective
• unindigenously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of indigenous¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin indigen(a) “native, original inhabitant” ( indi-, by-form of in- in- ² ( indagate ) + -gena, derivative from base of gignere “to bring into being”; genital, genitor ) + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of indigenous¹

C17: from Latin indigenus, from indigena indigene, from indi- in + gignere to beget

Example Sentences

As U.S. expansion displaced indigenous nations, Native peoples entered wage labor, in ways that often extended traditional work.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Members of Zootopia’s elite plan to expand their territory by displacing certain indigenous animals from an area they want to claim for themselves.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

An award-winning Canadian-American author whose career was tied to his apparent indigenous ancestry has recently learned that he has no Cherokee roots.

Read more on BBC

"We mobilized civil society, academia, the private sector, indigenous peoples, and social movements, making COP30 the COP with the second-highest participation in history."

Read more on Barron's

"The wildlife and indigenous people who call the forest their home deserve better than this."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• congenital 
• connate 
• constitutional 
• essential 
• fundamental 
• inborn 
• inherent 
• inherited 
• innate 
• intrinsic 
• natural 
• unacquired www.thesaurus.com