Added 9 October 2026
indigenous
/ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs/ adjective
In Latin: indigenus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about indigenous at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Native to a land, especially before colonization. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
The Aboriginals were indigenous to Victoria before the World War.
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In particular, of or relating to a people (or their language or culture) that inhabited a region prior to the arrival of people of other cultures which became dominant (e.g., through colonialism), and which maintains a distinct culture.
The Ainu are the indigenous ethnic group of Japan's Hokkaido Island.
- Innate, inborn.
Origin
Borrowed from Late Latin indigenus (“native, born in a country”), from indi- (indu-), an old derivative of in (“in”), gen- the root of gignō (“give birth to”), and English -ous. Compare indigene, Ancient Greek ἐνδογενής (endogenḗs, “born in the house”), and the separately formed piecewise doublet endogenous. Unrelated to Indian.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)