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 rainforest.
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: Hundreds of species of plants and trees native to central Texas are displayed and nurtured in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, south of Austin.
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: Capricorn natives are practical, collected, and reliable allies to have in a crisis.
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
First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin nātīvus “inborn, natural,” equivalent to nāt(us) (past participle of nāscī “to be born”) + -īvus, replacing Middle English natif, from Middle French, from Latin, as above; cf. -ive
SYNONYMS FOR native
2 inherited, innate, inbred, congenital.
4 autochthonous, aboriginal.
11 real, genuine, original.
19 aborigine.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR native ON THESAURUS.COM
ANTONYMS FOR native
2 acquired.
19 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.
That limits the amount of access native speakers have to tech tools in their language.
How a Scots Wikipedia scandal highlighted AI’s data problem|Nicolás Rivero|August 27, 2020|Quartz
Unlike Facebook’s previous shopping products, the latest storefronts will be native to the platform.
As online shopping intensifies, e-commerce marketers are becoming increasingly reliant on Facebook’s ads|Seb Joseph|August 25, 2020|Digiday
She also brought with her the native advertising playbook from Forbes.
‘Unstoppable innovator’: The meteoric rise of Meredith Kopit Levien, the next New York Times CEO|Steven Perlberg|August 19, 2020|Digiday
Across board branded content revenue for publishers will be down between 20% and 40% this year, according to tech company Polar, which helps publishers with branded content and native advertising.
‘That innovation budget has gone’: Publishers adapt to thwarted branded content studio growth|Lucinda Southern|August 4, 2020|Digiday
The NBA is smitten with mascots native to land, the most popular classification across the board.
For Aspiring Performers, The NBA Is The Best Place To Be A Mascot|Josh Planos|July 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
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 birthmy native city
inherent, natural, or innatea native strength
born in a specified placea native German
(when postpositive, foll by to) originating in a specific place or areakangaroos are native to Australia
characteristic of or relating to the indigenous inhabitants of a country or areathe 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
archaicrelated 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 placea native of Geneva
(usually foll by of)a species originating in a particular place or areathe 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-fashionedany non-White
Derived forms of native
natively, adverbnativeness, 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