non-native

adjective

non-na·tive ˌnän-ˈnā-tiv

variants or nonnative

: not native: such as

of a plant or animal : living or growing in a place that is not the location of its natural occurrence

a non-native fish species

… overgrazing causes grasslands to give way to sagebrush, mesquite and non-native exotic grasses, environmentalists contend.—

Doug McInnis

: not born or raised in the place where a particular language is spoken

non-native inhabitants

a nonnative speaker of English [=a person who speaks English but whose native language is not English]

non-native noun

or nonnative

plural non-natives or nonnatives

popular among both natives and non-natives

Examples of non-native in a Sentence

nonnative customs that made the recent immigrants stand out in their new country

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is an non-native species that is known for aggressive biting during the day and can transmit several different diseases. —

Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024 The non-native mammals have wreaked havoc on indigenous birds and voles since their arrival on the Scottish islands 15 years ago. —

Abby Wilson, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024 Native American Woman Vanished from Reservation in 2020, FBI Offers $10,000 Reward for Information As a child, Johnson-Davis was removed from her family’s home and put in the foster home of a non-native family, her sister Blouin says. —

Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024 This annual tradition is not just about culling these toxic, non-native amphibians, but also about reclaiming a natural balance that was once upended by one of the greatest ecological missteps in the nation's history. —

Scott Travers, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for non-native