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

Derived Forms

• native-American
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of native American

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

“He’s a Native American guitar player not a lot of people know enough about,” says Anders.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

Braddock’s column was ambushed by French and Native American forces at the Battle of the Monongahela.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

A group of “spirit runners” — a Native American tradition of bringing prayer — sprinted through the heart of Jackson forest as rain poured through the canopy.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

Indeed, the master narrative led to such surprising conclusions about Native American societies before the arrival of Europeans that it stirred up an intellectual firestorm.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann