Jump To:

• Native American
  Native American

  noun

  Indian.
• native American
  native American

  noun

  a person born in the United States.

Native American

¹ American  

[ney-tiv uh-mer-i-kuhn] / ˈneɪ tɪv əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

noun

1. Indian.

2. a member of any of the aboriginal peoples of the Americas, including Indians and non-Indians.

---

native American ² American  

noun

1. a person born in the United States.

---

Native American British  

noun

1. A member of the indigenous peoples of North America

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Native Americans or any of their languages

Sensitive Note

See Indian, Eskimo.

Other Word Forms

• native-American
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of native American

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

In a Bicentennial print, the Luiseño artist Fritz Scholder portrays a Native American man clad in an inverted American flag.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

A Native American woman looks back on a life of shapeshifting identities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

It was in these formative years that Greg became acquainted with Native American people in Santa Rosa, always feeling a mysterious pull toward them.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

The findings may also prove valuable for Native American tribes located within or near the park.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

Mama, Native American on her father’s side and German on her mother’s, was sympathetic to the black cause.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers