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native definition

na·tive (nāt′iv)

adjective

  1. inborn or innate rather than acquired
  2. belonging to a locality or country by birth, production, or growth; indigenous a native Bostonian, native industry, native plants
  3. related to one as, or in connection with, the place of one's birth or origin one's native land, one's native language
  4. simple; natural; free from affectation
  5. as found in nature; natural and not refined, adorned, or altered by man
  6. occurring in a pure state in nature native gold
  7. of or characteristic of the natives, or indigenous inhabitants, of a place
  8. Native American Native land rights

Etymology: ME natyf < MFr natif < L nativus < natus, born: see nature

noun

  1. a person born in the place or country indicated
    1. an original or indigenous inhabitant of a region, as distinguished from an invader, explorer, colonist, etc.
    2. an indigenous plant or animal
  3. a permanent resident, as distinguished from a temporary resident or visitor

Related Forms:

native Idioms

go native

to adopt the mode of life, often one less complicated, of the native inhabitants

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

medical native definition - medical

telecom native definition - telecom

native Synonyms

native

modif.

  1. Natural

    innate, inherent, inborn, implanted, inbred, ingrained, inwrought, congenital, fundamental, hereditary, inherited, essential, constitutional; see also natural 1.

    Antonyms unnatural*, foreign*, alien. *

  2. Originating in or characteristic of a region

    aboriginal, indigenous, endemic, original, native-born, belonging, coming from, autochthonous, autochthonal, primary, primeval, primitive, vernacular, domestic, local, found locally, regional, homegrown, natal, mother, by birth; see also regional.

    Antonyms imported*, brought in, transplanted, foreign.

native applies to a person born, or thing originating, in a certain place or country a native New Yorker, native fruits; indigenous, which also suggests natural origin in a particular region, is applied to races or species rather than to individuals the potato is indigenous to South America; aboriginal applies to the earliest known inhabitants (or, rarely, animals or plants) of a region the Indians are the aboriginal Americans; endemic, applied esp. to plants and diseases, implies prevalence in or restriction to a particular region typhus is endemic in some tropical areas

go native

adopt a different way of life, live simply, vegetate; see change 4.


native

n.

  1. Aborigine

    aboriginal, autochthon, primitive, ancient, original inhabitant, indigenous inhabitant, tribesman, savage*.

  2. Citizen

    citizen, inhabitant, indigene, local*; see citizen, resident. See syn. study at citizen.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

native Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • go: Luckily, I work most closely with great people who, to the large part, haven't " gone native " there.

Adjective modifier

  • hostile: A nine hundred mile trek inland took them through hostile natives, tropical diseases and intense heat.

Modifies a noun

  • speaker: Chinese native speaker, having good English language skills.

Modifying Another Word

  • dear: I know thou wilt go with me, not only over the border of my dear native country but over the border of time.

Noun used with modifier

  • plant: Litter pick - map area and discuss future options - plant native heathers.

Possessives

  • love: Native's love for at historic towns a casual sport housing beautiful reproductions.

Used with adjective complement

  • buy: You'll be able to buy native Northumberland seed and plants for your garden from Northumberland Wildflowers in our marquee.

Preposition: of

  • dominica: Native of dominica to a rock the interior design.
native usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

native quotes

The deceased Gentlemanwas, weare informed, a native of Ashbourn, Derbyshire, at which place he was born in theYear of Grace, 217, and was consequently in the 1643rd year of his age. For some months the patriotic Old Man had been suffering from injuries sustained in his native town, so far back as Shrovetide in last year; he was at once removed (byappeal) to London, where he lingered in suspense till the law of death put its icy hand upon him, and claimed as another trophy to magisterial interference one who had long lived in the hearts of the people.

-Anonymous

Le colonialisme ne se satisfait pas d'enserrer le peuple dans ses mailles, de vider le cerveau colonise¤   de toute forme et de tout contenu. Par une sorte de perversion de la logique, il s'oriente vers le passe¤   du peuple opprime¤  , le distort, le de¤  figure, l'ane¤  antit. Colonialismisnot satisfiedmerely with holding a people in its grip and emptying the native's brain of all form and content. Bya kind of perverted logic, it turns to the past of the oppressed people, and distorts, disfigures and destroys it.

-Fanon, Frantz Omar

Every man has a lurking wish to appear considerable in his native place.

-Johnson, Samuel known as Dr Johnson

native quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/native>

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native. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/native

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