non-native
adjective
non-na·tive
ˌnän-ˈnā-tiv 
variants
or nonnative
: not native: such as
a
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
Doug McInnis
b
: 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
Nix Native Plant Garden, 1745 Hoffman Mill Road, is another Fort Collins site that proves native plants can easily rival the attractiveness of non-native alternatives.
—Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
Ethical issues arise from sending non-natives to an unsafe region.
—Dan Gooding
billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Let native species find your pond naturally—and don’t introduce non-native amphibians.
Don’t pick them up.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025
That’s in stark contrast with non-native, invasive garden snails in New Zealand, which live short lives but lay thousands of eggs annually, according to the statement.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for non-native
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Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
Ethical issues arise from sending non-natives to an unsafe region.
—Dan Gooding
billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Let native species find your pond naturally—and don’t introduce non-native amphibians.
Don’t pick them up.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025
That’s in stark contrast with non-native, invasive garden snails in New Zealand, which live short lives but lay thousands of eggs annually, according to the statement.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for non-native
Cite this Entry
“Non-native.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-native. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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