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 Web
Bob Hirshon, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Voters throughout the Bay Area reacted to both local and national elections on Tuesday night, as former President Donald Trump soundly defeated Vice President and Oakland native Kamala Harris to serve a second term.
—Aric Crabb, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 8 Nov. 2024
Barr, a Lexington native in office since 2013, once worked as deputy counsel for then-Gov. Ernie Fletcher and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for native 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
The number of streets named Chestnut and Elm testify to the fame and beauty of these native American trees.
—Bob Hirshon, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Voters throughout the Bay Area reacted to both local and national elections on Tuesday night, as former President Donald Trump soundly defeated Vice President and Oakland native Kamala Harris to serve a second term.
—Aric Crabb, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Noun
Brown does not have prototypical size, listed at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, but the Naples, Fla., native loves his role on the team.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 8 Nov. 2024
Barr, a Lexington native in office since 2013, once worked as deputy counsel for then-Gov. Ernie Fletcher and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for native
Dictionary Entries Near native
Cite this Entry
“Native.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/native. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
a
: an original or Indigenous inhabitant
b
: something indigenous to a particular locality
3
: a local resident
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
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