native

American  

[ney-tiv] / ˈneɪ tɪv /

adjective

1. being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being.

   one's native land.

2. belonging to a person by birth or to a thing by nature; inherent: native grace.

   native ability;

   native grace.

   Synonyms:

   congenital, inbred, innate

3. belonging by birth to a people regarded as indigenous to a certain place, especially a preliterate people.

   Native guides accompanied the expedition through the rainforest.

4. of indigenous origin, growth, or production.

   native pottery.

   Synonyms:

   aboriginal, autochthonous

5. Native. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Indigenous inhabitants of a place or country: Native dress.

   Native customs;

   Native dress.

6. born in a particular place or country.

   a native New Yorker.

7. of or relating to a language acquired by a person before or to the exclusion of any other language.

   Her native language is Greek.

8. pertaining to or characteristic of a person using a native language or first language, acquired in childhood: native command of a language.

   a native speaker of English;

   native command of a language.

9. under the rule of natives.

   a native government.

10. occupied by natives.

    the native quarter of Algiers.

11. remaining or growing in a natural state; unadorned or unchanged.

    the native beauty of a desert island.

    Synonyms:

    original, genuine, real

12. forming the source or origin of a person or thing.

    He returned to his native Kansas.

13. originating naturally in a particular country or region, as animals or plants.

    Hundreds of species of plants and trees native to central Texas are displayed and nurtured in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, south of Austin.

14. found in nature rather than produced artificially, as a mineral substance.

    the difference between native and industrial diamonds.

15. Chemistry, Mineralogy. (of metals) occurring in nature pure or uncombined.

    native copper.

16. belonging to a person as a birthright.

    to deprive people of their native rights.

17. Digital Technology.

    1. of or relating to software designed specifically for the platform on which it is running: native mobile apps.

       native applications for 64-bit PCs;

       native mobile apps.

    2. of or relating to data interpreted or displayed by the software or hardware for which it was originally encoded.

       to view the file in its native format.

18. Archaic. closely related, as by birth.

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noun

1. Sometimes Offensive. one of the people indigenous to a place or country, especially as distinguished from strangers, foreigners, colonizers, etc..

   the natives of Chile.

   Synonyms:

   Aborigine

   Antonyms:

   alien

2. Sometimes Offensive. Native. Indigenous.

3. a person born in a particular place or country.

   a native of Ohio.

4. an organism indigenous to a particular region.

5. British. an oyster reared in British waters, especially in an artificial bed.

6. Astrology. a person born under a particular planet.

   Capricorn natives are practical, collected, and reliable allies to have in a crisis.

idioms

1. go native, to adopt the way of life of a place or environment that is different from one's own (sometimes used facetiously): I don’t usually drink alcohol, but at the frat party I went native and played beer pong with everyone else.

   After living on the island for a year, we went native and did without air conditioning just like the locals.

   I don’t usually drink alcohol, but at the frat party I went native and played beer pong with everyone else.

native British  

/ ˈneɪtɪv /

adjective

1. relating or belonging to a person or thing by virtue of conditions existing at the time of birth

   my native city

2. inherent, natural, or innate

   a native strength

3. born in a specified place

   a native German

4. originating in a specific place or area

   kangaroos are native to Australia

5. characteristic of or relating to the indigenous inhabitants of a country or area

   the native art of the New Guinea Highlands

6. (of chemical elements, esp metals) found naturally in the elemental form

7. unadulterated by civilization, artifice, or adornment; natural

8. archaic related by birth or race

9. (of a settler) to adopt the lifestyle of the local population, esp when it appears less civilized

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noun

1. (usually foll by of) a person born in a particular place

   a native of Geneva

2. (usually foll by of) a species originating in a particular place or area

   the kangaroo is a native of Australia

3. a member of an indigenous people of a country or area, esp a non-White people, as opposed to colonial settlers and immigrants

4. offensive any non-White

native Scientific  

/ nā′tĭv /

1. Living or growing naturally in a particular place or region; indigenous.

2. Occurring in nature on its own, uncombined with other substances. Copper and gold are often found in native form.

3. Of or relating to the naturally occurring conformation of a macromolecule, such as a protein.

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Sensitive Note

When used to mean "an original inhabitant of a place or country," the noun native may be taken as offensive and has declined in use. Historically it is associated with colonialist attitudes: Indigenous people, especially when nonwhite, were typically considered to be primitive or culturally inferior. Native also falls into a category of identity words that are common as adjectives (a marketplace for Native artists; a Native politician sought the nomination) and sometimes used as plural nouns (only Natives who reside on the reservation can vote in the Tribal election). However, these identity words are very rare and often sound offensive when used as singular nouns (voters elected a Native ). In most cases, the adjective is preferred (voters elected a Native councilmember ).

Usage

Because of its potentially offensive and colonial overtones, native as a noun without qualification is best avoided. It is however acceptable when modified, as in : natives of Edinburgh , or a native of North Carolina

Other Word Forms

• natively adverb
• nativeness noun
• nonnative adjective
• nonnatively adverb
• nonnativeness noun
• pronative adjective
• quasi-native adjective
• unnative adjective

Etymology

Origin of native

First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin nātīvus “inborn, natural,” equivalent to nāt(us) (past participle of nāscī “to be born”) + -īvus, replacing Middle English natif, from Middle French, from Latin, as above; cf. -ive

Explanation

The word native has to do with where you're from. You're native to the country where you were born, and places have native plants and animals too. Things that are native are indigenous — they were born there. This is where the term Native Americans comes from — they were on this land before Europeans came over. Native plants were originally in a place — they weren't transplanted. The same is true of native animals. Sometimes people born in a place are called natives, as in "You are a native of Cleveland." When you see the word native, think "born there."

Example Sentences

Four mountain bongos, a rare type of antelope native to Kenya's highland forests, have arrived in Kenya after being sent from a zoo in the Czech Republic.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

The native of Washington earlier served in the US Treasury Department for a brief period under Republican President George H.W.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Morehead’s thesis is that as AI becomes more widely used, the rise of autonomous agents may eventually need digitally native ways to transact.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

A Sacramento native and the son of a Mexican immigrant mother and a Mexican American father, Becerra graduated from Stanford Law School and served as a deputy to California Atty.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Lee asked Madison rhetorically: “Is your love for the constitution so ardent...that it should produce ruin to your native country?”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• endemic
• indigenous
• inherent
• innate
• natural