native-born

American

[ney-tiv-bawrn] / ˈneɪ tɪvˈbɔrn /

adjective

born in the place or country indicated.

a native-born Australian.

native-born British

adjective

born in the country or area indicated

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of native-born

First recorded in 1490–1500

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The unemployment rate for native-born workers rose to 4.7% in February from 4.4% a year earlier, outpacing the overall unemployment rate of 4.4%, according to the BLS.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

What is actually troubling is the number of native-born Americans who can speak only English.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026

The other three are native-born Americans, but she's worried sick every time they leave the house.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

Of those stripped of citizenship before that ruling—totaling more than 120,000—a majority were native-born.

From Slate • Jan. 15, 2026

Several centuries later the great-great-grandson of the native-born planter married the great-great-granddaughter of the Aragonese.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023