indigenous

[ in-dij-uh-nuhs ]

adjective

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

   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 by to ):

   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

/ ĭn-dĭj′ə-nəs /

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

Derived Forms

• inˈdigenousness, noun
• inˈdigenously, adverb

Other Words From

• in·dige·nous·ly adverb
• in·dige·nous·ness in·di·gen·i·ty [in-di-, jen, -i-tee], noun
• nonin·dige·nous adjective
• unin·dige·nous adjective
• unin·dige·nous·ly 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

Here you’ll partner with indigenous people to harvest cassavas, fish for food, and communicate only with gestures.

From Outside Online

Now, otters threaten to deplete these profitable invertebrate fisheries, which have sustained coastal indigenous communities.

From Science News

The initiative, run as a global nonprofit, would encourage the development of more microbiome collections by creating courses to train researchers across the globe to collect samples from indigenous populations in their regions.

From Science News

Dominguez-Bello has worked with local researchers in Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru and Brazil to collect and study stool samples from indigenous populations in those countries.

From Science News

So many indigenous communities and places in the Southwest are impacted by mining.

From Science News For Students

Islands overrun by flawed people, both indigenous and imperialist.

From The Daily Beast

Seattle is one of the most recent, with its city council voting this year to adopt the indigenous version of the holiday.

From The Daily Beast

Grown in the jungle by the indigenous Kichwa, guayusa (gwhy-you-sa) is a sacred leaf used in ceremonial rituals.

From The Daily Beast

The vine and the ceremony are deeply entwined with South American indigenous religions of the Amazon.

From The Daily Beast

Many indigenous people believe consuming yagé opens up pathways to the spirit world, and allows conversations with these spirits.

From The Daily Beast

Brazilian bean; the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, indigenous to America.

From Project Gutenberg

In the domain of politics I should make use of the indigenous institutions and serve them by curing them of their proved defects.

From Project Gutenberg

Following out the Swadeshi spirit, I observe the indigenous institutions and the village panchayats hold me.

From Project Gutenberg

They found human indigenous races on a few worlds, all of them at a rather low technical level, and they taught them.

From Project Gutenberg

Loyalty must be indigenous to a soil where, under such adverse conditions, it has taken such deep root and flourishes.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• congenital
• connate
• constitutional
• essential
• fundamental
• inborn
• inherent
• inherited
• innate
• intrinsic
• natural
• unacquired