native speaker

American  

[ney-tiv spee-ker] / ˈneɪ tɪv ˈspi kər /

noun

1. a person whose knowledge and use of a language is characterized by the fact that it is their first or native language, a language that a person acquires fully through extensive exposure in childhood: The first requirement is that you can hold a one-minute conversation with a native speaker of German.

   As native speakers, we are often not conscious of the conjugation rules we follow.

   The first requirement is that you can hold a one-minute conversation with a native speaker of German.

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native speaker British  

noun

1. a person having a specified native language

   a native speaker of Cree

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Etymology

Origin of native speaker

First recorded in 1855–60; see also nonnative speaker ( def. )

Example Sentences

His Russian accent in “Chess” is so convincing that he’s had theatergoers come up to him after the show and launch into Russian as though he were a native speaker.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

From 1922 to 1991 Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union and many Ukrainians speak Russian, especially in the east, and including Volodymyr Zelensky who is a native speaker.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

Simple for a native speaker, possible for the truly dedicated learner, vexing for the user who learned how to say only “Dog food is better than no food” on an app.

From Slate • Jul. 25, 2023

Yahata's presentation is from a script translated by her English teacher, which she rehearses by reading along to a recording made by a native speaker.

From Reuters • May 16, 2023

She was singing like a native speaker, as though she’d emerged from the cradle speaking Yiddish.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny