Native meaning

What does “native” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“native” is a noun and adjective with 7 meanings. Its most common meaning is: an indigenous person who was born in a particular place.

native

an indigenous person who was born in a particular place
“the art of the natives of the northwest coast”
“the Canadian government scrapped plans to tax the grants to aboriginal college students”
Synonymsindigen indigene aborigine aboriginal
a person born in a particular place or country
“he is a native of Brazil”
indigenous plants and animals

characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin
“the native North American sugar maple”
“many native artists studied abroad”
Oppositesforeign
belonging to one by birth
“my native land”
“one's native language”
Oppositesadopted
characteristic of or relating to people inhabiting a region from the beginning
“native Americans”
“the aboriginal peoples of Australia”
Synonymsaboriginal
Oppositesnonnative
as found in nature in the elemental form
“native copper”

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University