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

Some of it was spent gathering input from residents, public health groups, Native American governments and companies — feedback the agency addressed in subsequent rewrites.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

“It’s what we dreamed of,” said Polly Girvin, Hunter’s former partner and a retired lawyer focused on Native American issues.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

At least six of the Native American leaders who accepted Jefferson’s invitation to visit Washington, D.C., between 1804 and 1809 died of illness before they could return to their families.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Based on thorough research of published and unpublished sources, as well as Native American oral tradition, the book gives this well-known story a fresh breadth of implication.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Although the Siriono are but one of a score of Native American groups in the Beni, they are the best known.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann