Added 8 October 2026
native
/ˈneɪtɪv/ noun
In Latin: indiges Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about native at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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An indigenous person who was born in a particular place.
the art of the natives of the northwest coast
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A person born in a particular place or country.
he is a native of Brazil
- Indigenous plants and animals.
adjective
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Characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin.
the native North American sugar maple
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Belonging to one by birth.
my native land
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Characteristic of or relating to people inhabiting a region from the beginning.
native Americans
Origin
Inherited from Middle English natif, from Old French natif, from Latin nātīvus, from nātus (“birth”). Doublet of naive and neif. Displaced native Middle English thedisch, equivalent to (puristic) theed + -ish. By surface analysis, Latin nat- + -ive. Compare also inborn.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)