2
: belonging to a particular place by birth
a native New Yorker
3
archaic
: closely related
4
: belonging to or associated with one by birth
hailed in his native Sweden as an influential dramatist—
William Peden
William Peden6
a
: grown, produced, or originating in a particular place or in the vicinity : local
native fruits and vegetables
b
: living or growing naturally in a particular region : indigenous
native wildlife of Australia
7
: simple, unaffected
our feeling still native and entire, unsophisticated by pedantry—Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke8
a
: constituting the original substance or source
the way I must return to native dust—John Milton
John Milton
b
: found in nature especially in an unadulterated form
mining native silver
9
chiefly Australia
: having a usually superficial (see superficial sense 2) resemblance to a specified English plant or animal
10
capitalized
: of, relating to, or being a member of an indigenous people of North or South America : native american
natively
adverb
nativeness
noun
1
: one born or reared in a particular place
2
a
: an original or indigenous inhabitant
b
: something indigenous to a particular locality
3
: a local resident
especially
: a person who has always lived in a place as distinguished from a visitor or a temporary resident
Synonyms
Examples of native in a Sentence
Adjective
people who are native to France
She has a native ability to learn quickly.
The island is home to several native species of trees.
Noun
She's a native of France who moved to the United States when she was 15.
He wishes he could speak Spanish like a native.
The plant is a native of Central and South America.
Recent Examples on the WebJeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
What to know about weedy seadragons Weedy seadragons are native to Australia, according to the aquarium.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
Ramps are native to the woodlands of North America, including the U.S. and Canada.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
Those trees are native to the Spanish islands off the coast of Africa.
—Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
Glycyrrhiza glabra is a species native to Eurasia and North Africa from which most confectionery licorice is produced.
—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Legions of insects have evolved to help native plants with long-distance reproduction, including butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, midges and gnats.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
The Wild Gardens of Acadia is home to over 400 native plant species, reflecting the habitats found on Mount Desert Island.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2024
An intimate family drama mixed with elements of psychological drama, said Corral, it is set in Ruíz de Alauda’s lush native Basque Country.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
This Charlotte native is finishing up her senior year at Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Journalism and has experience reporting in Nashville, Washington D.C., and Boone.
—Jody MacE, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2024
The Detroit native just revealed that his first book will arrive later this year.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Sean Connolly, a Flagstaff native, will start as police chief in June.
—The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
The Flint, Michigan native became known for his fight to legalize marijuana and as co-founder of the White Panther Party, the anti-racist social group that served as a counterpart to the Black Panthers.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
The last stop of the day for the 51-year-old Puerto Rico native who has lived in the city for nearly three decades was the Maryland Transportation Authority.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
The Jasper native and former CEO of Meyer Distributing is now running for governor.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Mar. 2024
Her client, a native of Rio, asked her to create an oasis within the concrete city.
—Michael Snyder Pedro Kok, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Experts from the Theodore Payne Foundation will fill our tent with fragrant native plants and answer questions.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
What to know about weedy seadragons Weedy seadragons are native to Australia, according to the aquarium.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
Ramps are native to the woodlands of North America, including the U.S. and Canada.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
Those trees are native to the Spanish islands off the coast of Africa.
—Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
Glycyrrhiza glabra is a species native to Eurasia and North Africa from which most confectionery licorice is produced.
—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
Legions of insects have evolved to help native plants with long-distance reproduction, including butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, midges and gnats.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
The Wild Gardens of Acadia is home to over 400 native plant species, reflecting the habitats found on Mount Desert Island.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2024
An intimate family drama mixed with elements of psychological drama, said Corral, it is set in Ruíz de Alauda’s lush native Basque Country.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Noun
The New York City native began acting on the stage in 1950s Broadway shows like Take a Giant Step, The Desk Set, and A Raisin in the Sun.
—Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
This Charlotte native is finishing up her senior year at Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Journalism and has experience reporting in Nashville, Washington D.C., and Boone.
—Jody MacE, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2024
The Detroit native just revealed that his first book will arrive later this year.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Sean Connolly, a Flagstaff native, will start as police chief in June.
—The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
The Flint, Michigan native became known for his fight to legalize marijuana and as co-founder of the White Panther Party, the anti-racist social group that served as a counterpart to the Black Panthers.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
The last stop of the day for the 51-year-old Puerto Rico native who has lived in the city for nearly three decades was the Maryland Transportation Authority.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
The Jasper native and former CEO of Meyer Distributing is now running for governor.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Mar. 2024
Her client, a native of Rio, asked her to create an oasis within the concrete city.
—Michael Snyder Pedro Kok, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'native.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Middle English natif, from Middle French, from Latin nativus, from natus, past participle of nasci to be born — more at nation
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of native was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing native
Dictionary Entries Near native
Cite this Entry
“Native.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/native. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
native
1 of 2 adjective
na·tive
ˈnāt-iv 
1
: inborn sense 1, natural
native ability
2
: born in a particular place or country
native Hawaiians
3
: belonging to one because of the place or circumstances of one's birth
my native language
4
a
: grown, produced, or having its beginning in a particular region
native art
native stone
b
: living or growing naturally in a particular region
native plants
5
: found in nature especially in a pure form : not artificially prepared
native salt
6
capitalized
: of, relating to, or being a member of an indigenous people of North or South America : native american
natively
adverb
native
2 of 2 noun1
: one born or raised in a particular place
a native of Milwaukee
2
: one of a people living in a place before the arrival of foreigners
3
: something native to or produced in a locality
Medical Definition
native
adjective
na·tive
ˈnāt-iv
1
: belonging to or associated with one by birth
2
: living or growing naturally in a particular region
3
a
: constituting the original substance or source
b
: found in nature especially in an unadulterated form
conversion of a native protein to a denatured protein
natively
adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on native
Nglish: Translation of native for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of native for Arabic Speakers
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