native

[ ney-tiv ]

/ ˈneɪ tɪv /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR native ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being: one's native land.

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

belonging by birth to a people regarded as indigenous to a certain place, especially a preliterate people: Native guides accompanied the expedition through the rain forest.

of indigenous origin, growth, or production: native pottery.

of, relating to, or characteristic of the indigenous inhabitants of a place or country: native customs; native dress.

born in a particular place or country: a native New Yorker.

of or relating to a language acquired by a person before or to the exclusion of any other language: Her native language is Greek.

pertaining to or characteristic of a person using his or her native language: a native speaker of English; native command of a language.

under the rule of natives: a native government.

occupied by natives: the native quarter of Algiers.

remaining or growing in a natural state; unadorned or unchanged: the native beauty of a desert island.

forming the source or origin of a person or thing: He returned to his native Kansas.

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

found in nature rather than produced artificially, as a mineral substance: the difference between native and industrial diamonds.

Chemistry, Mineralogy. (of metals) occurring in nature pure or uncombined: native copper.

belonging to a person as a birthright: to deprive a person of his native rights.

Digital Technology.

of or relating to software designed specifically for the platform on which it is running: native applications for 64-bit PCs;native mobile apps.
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.

Archaic. closely related, as by birth.

noun

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

a person born in a particular place or country: a native of Ohio.

an organism indigenous to a particular region.

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

Astrology. a person born under a particular planet.

Idioms for native

go native, Informal: Sometimes Offensive. to adopt the way of life of a place or environment that is different from one's own (sometimes used facetiously): 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.

Origin of native

1325–75; < Latin nātīvus inborn, natural, equivalent to nāt(us) (past participle of nāscī to be born) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English natif (adj.) < Middle French < Latin, as above

SYNONYMS FOR native

2 inherited, innate, inbred, congenital.

4 autochthonous, aboriginal.

11 real, genuine, original.

24 aborigine.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR native ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR native

2 acquired.

24 alien

SEE ANTONYMS FOR native ON THESAURUS.COM

usage note for native

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. Unlike the noun, the corresponding adjectival use of native is generally acceptable, as in Native American.

OTHER WORDS FROM native

na·tive·ly, adverb na·tive·ness, noun non·na·tive, adjective, noun non·na·tive·ly, adverb

non·na·tive·ness, noun pro·na·tive, adjective qua·si-na·tive, adjective un·na·tive, adjective

Words nearby native

nationality, nationalization, nationalize, nationhood, nationwide, native, native advertising, native american, native americans, native bear, native bush

Example sentences from the Web for native

He had shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend early that morning in Baltimore and headed for his native Brooklyn.

Two Cops ‘Assassinated’ in Brooklyn |Michael Daly |December 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
While the Clovis, California native may not have completely believed that, he wasn't about to sit around and find out.

Chris Colfer on Writing, Acting, and the Pain of Being A Pop Culture Trailblazer |Oliver Jones |December 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
They were conducted entirely in Hebrew, a language the U.S. native does not speak, although he was provided a translator.

The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist |Creede Newton |December 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Hornbuckle, on the other hand, says the policy will not put Native American nations in danger.

Tribes to U.S. Government: Take Your Weed and Shove It |Abby Haglage |December 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

While still relatively unknown stateside, Bellucci is a reigning vixen in France and her native Italy.

‘Spectre’ Casts 50-Year-Old Bond Girl For 007 to Do Sex To |Amy Zimmerman |December 5, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
At that age and in its then condition a strong ruler--native if possible, if not, foreign--was by far the best hope for Ireland.

The Story Of Ireland |Emily Lawless
This aristocracy was only in a very limited degree of native origin.

Wanderings in Corsica, Vol. 1 of 2 |Ferdinand Gregorovius
"Line upon Line" had also been rendered into the native tongue by Mr. Ashton.

Robert Moffat |David J. Deane
His schooling, which was slight, was secured in his native town.

Great Inventions and Discoveries |Willis Duff Piercy
On the breaking out of the rebellion, he entered with all his native enthusiasm into the home duties of the war.

Cleveland Past and Present |Maurice Joblin

British Dictionary definitions for native

native

/ (ˈneɪtɪv) /

adjective

relating or belonging to a person or thing by virtue of conditions existing at the time of birth my native city

inherent, natural, or innate a native strength

born in a specified place a native German

(when postpositive, foll by to) originating in a specific place or area kangaroos are native to Australia

characteristic of or relating to the indigenous inhabitants of a country or area the native art of the New Guinea Highlands

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

unadulterated by civilization, artifice, or adornment; natural

archaic related by birth or race

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

noun

(usually foll by of) a person born in a particular place a native of Geneva

(usually foll by of) a species originating in a particular place or area the kangaroo is a native of Australia

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

offensive, old-fashioned any non-White

Derived forms of native

natively, adverb nativeness, noun

Word Origin for native

C14: from Latin nātīvus innate, natural, from nascī to be born

usage for native

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

Medical definitions for native

native

[ nā′tĭv ]

adj.

Originating, growing, or produced in a certain place or region; indigenous.

Occurring in nature pure or uncombined with other substances.

Scientific definitions for native

native

[ nā′tĭv ]

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

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

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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

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native

adjective

noun

Idioms for native

Origin of native

SYNONYMS FOR native

ANTONYMS FOR native

usage note for native

OTHER WORDS FROM native

Words nearby native

Example sentences from the Web for native

British Dictionary definitions for native

adjective

noun

Derived forms of native

Word Origin for native

usage for native

Medical definitions for native

adj.

Scientific definitions for native

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

native

adjective

noun

Idioms for native

Origin of native

SYNONYMS FOR native

ANTONYMS FOR native

usage note for native

OTHER WORDS FROM native

Words nearby native

Words related to native

Example sentences from the Web for native

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for native

adjective

noun

Derived forms of native

Word Origin for native

usage for native

Medical definitions for native

adj.

Scientific definitions for native

British Dictionary definitions for native