native language

Often first lan·guage

[ney-tiv lang-gwij]

noun

1. a language that a person acquires fully through extensive exposure in childhood.

   Many Diné children learn Navajo as a native language.

Word History and Origins

Origin of native language¹

First recorded in 1425–75 as natife langage

Example Sentences

Ostapenko later apologized on her Instagram Story and explained that English isn’t her native language.

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Additionally, the author calls for real-time enforcement networks, mandatory safety training in workers’ native languages, and funding Cal/OSHA with the same urgency given to immigration enforcement, which received $170 billion and aggressive hiring incentives.

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He hopes that within the next two or three years rural users will have voice-enabled access to government services, financial tools and information systems in their native languages.

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Due to the emergence of streaming over radio plays, Spanish music has been able to thrive in countries where it's not a native language, something Pitbull has been able to use to his advantage.

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Any other policy that unfairly disadvantages people based on characteristics over which they have no meaningful control, such as their ethnicity, race, sex, gender, religious upbringing or native language, would rightly be deemed unacceptable.

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