native Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an indigenous person who was born in a particular place
    indigen; aboriginal; indigene; aborigine.
    • the art of the natives of the northwest coast
    • the Canadian government scrapped plans to tax the grants to aboriginal college students
  2. noun a person born in a particular place or country
    • he is a native of Brazil
  3. noun indigenous plants and animals
  4. adjective characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin
    • the native North American sugar maple
    • many native artists studied abroad
  5. adjective belonging to one by birth
    • my native land
    • one's native language
  6. adjective characteristic of or relating to people inhabiting a region from the beginning
    aboriginal.
    • native Americans
    • the aboriginal peoples of Australia
  7. adjective satellite as found in nature in the elemental form
    • native copper

WordNet

Na"tive adjective
Etymology
F. natif, L. nativus, fr. nasci, p.p. natus. See Nation, and cf. Naïve, Nelf a serf.
Definitions
  1. Arising by birth; having an origin; born. Obs.
    Anaximander's opinion is, that the gods are native, rising and vanishing again in long periods of times. Cudworth.
  2. Of or pertaining to one's birth; natal; belonging to the place or the circumstances in which one is born; -- opposed to foreign; as, native land, language, color, etc.
  3. Born in the region in which one lives; as, a native inhabitant, race; grown or originating in the region where used or sold; not foreign or imported; as, native oysters, or strawberries. latter sense = domestic
  4. Original; constituting the original substance of anything; as, native dust. Milton.
  5. Conferred by birth; derived from origin; born with one; inherent; inborn; not acquired; as, native genius, cheerfulness, simplicity, rights, etc. congenital, hereditary.
    Courage is native to you. Jowett (Thucyd. ).
  6. Naturally related; cognate; connected (with). R.
    the head is not more native to the heart, ... Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. Shak.
  7. (Min.) (a) Found in nature uncombined with other elements; as, native silver. (b) Found in nature; not artificial; as native sodium chloride. Syn. -- Natural; natal; original; congential. -- Native, Natural, Natal. natural refers to the nature of a thing, or that which springs therefrom; native, to one's birth or origin; as, a native country, language, etc.; natal, to the circumstances of one's birth; as, a natal day, or star. Native talent is that which is inborn; natural talent is that which springs from the structure of the mind. Native eloquence is the result of strong innate emotion; natural eloquence is opposed to that which is studied or artifical.
Na"tive noun
Definitions
  1. One who, or that which, is born in a place or country referred to; a denizen by birth; an animal, a fruit, or vegetable, produced in a certain region; as, a native of France.
  2. (Stock Breeding) Any of the live stock found in a region, as distinguished from such as belong to pure and distinct imported breeds. U.S.

Webster 1913