nonnative

[non-ney-tiv]

adjective

1. of or relating to a language that is not the first language acquired by a person.

   It is harder to communicate in your nonnative language.

2. of or relating to a person communicating in a nonnative language.

   a nonnative speaker of English.

3. Biology.,  of or relating to a plant or animal that is not indigenous to a region.

   The proliferation of nonnative plants is choking out the local flora.

4. Digital Technology.,  of or relating to software that was not originally designed for the platform on which it is running.

   nonnative user interfaces;

   nonnative apps.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonnative¹

First recorded in 1850–60; non- ( def. ) + native ( def. )

Example Sentences

This month, the California Island Conservancy announced a plan to rid the landscape of its entire nonnative deer population using contracted hunters, saying the animals increase the risk of wildfire.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Livestock not native to the desert have grazed and trampled the plants tortoises like to eat, spreading unpalatable nonnative grasses in their wake.

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Once a nonnative species gets into an environment, it is often too late to get rid of it, and the focus shifts to containment or long-term management.

Read more on Science Daily

Their woes have also been compounded by disease and predation by nonnative trout.

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Others blame the nonnative trees for lifting sidewalks and clogging sewer lines with their roots, or are willing to sacrifice the trees to break ground on a project they believe will bring economic vitality.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alien 
• different 
• external 
• offshore 
• overseas 
• unfamiliar