native
native — adjective
1. describing the town, city, or country that is the place of your birth or early l
describing the town, city, or country that is the place of your birth or early life
Karim returned to his native city after living abroad for ten years.
native + city — the city where you were born
The festival celebrates the food and music of Esteban's native region.
Many young people leave their native country to study overseas.
Her native city, Marseille, is famous for its port and seafood.
- native country
- native city
- native land
- native town
- native village
- native soil
- homeland
stronger emotional tone; often used for the country you feel loyal to, not just where you were born
- birthplace
only used as a noun, not an adjective; 'her birthplace is Osaka'
- home
more general; 'home country' is a common alternative to 'native country'
- foreign
relating to a country that is not your own
Grammar Patterns
native + noun (place, country, city, land, town)
Common Mistakes
2. found growing or living wild in a specific area, not brought there by humans
found growing or living wild in a specific area, not brought there by humans
The alpine rose is native to the mountains of central Europe.
native to + place — where something grows naturally
Gardeners are encouraged to plant native trees that support local insects.
This species of bird is not native to North America — it was introduced from Asia.
The park has a special section that only shows plants native to the desert.
Invasive weeds can push out native wildflowers by taking all the sunlight.
- native species
- native plant
- native tree
- native to
- native wildlife
- native habitat
- indigenous
more formal; used especially for people, plants, and animals that have always lived in a region
- local
broader meaning; 'local' can also mean 'nearby' without the sense of 'originally from here'
- invasive
of a species that spreads aggressively in a place where it does not naturally belong
- introduced
brought to a place by humans, not naturally occurring there
- non-native
not originally from the area
Grammar Patterns
native + noun (species, plant, tree, animal, bird, fish, flower)
native to + place
Usage Note
Often followed by 'to + place' to specify the region where the species originally occurs. Contrasts with 'invasive' or 'introduced' species.
Common Mistakes
3. belonging to the group of people who were the first to live in a region, before
belonging to the group of people who were the first to live in a region, before colonisers or settlers arrived
The museum displays art made by Native artists from the Pacific Northwest.
Native + noun — referring to Indigenous peoples; often capitalised
Tanvi read a book about native communities in the Amazon rainforest.
Native land rights are still a major legal issue in many countries today.
A committee was formed to consult native leaders about the new mining plan.
Many native languages in Australia are in danger of disappearing.
- Native American
- native people
- native community
- native land rights
- native culture
- native tradition
- Indigenous
currently the preferred term internationally; often capitalised; less tied to colonial history
- aboriginal
used for the original peoples of a region, especially in Australia (Aboriginal Australians); capitalised in specific references
Grammar Patterns
Native + noun (American, Australian, people, community, culture, land)
Usage Note
When referring to the original peoples of a place, 'Indigenous' (often capitalised) is now the more commonly preferred term in many contexts. 'Native' is still used in some fixed terms such as 'Native American' and 'Native Hawaiian', but in general usage 'Indigenous' is considered more respectful.
Common Mistakes
❌ Referring to all Indigenous peoples as 'natives' (as a noun) — this can sound outdated or offensive. Use 'Indigenous peoples' or specific group names instead.
❌ 'The native people of Taiwan' — OK in some contexts, but 'Indigenous people of Taiwan' is more respectful today.
4. referring to the first language a person learns to speak as a child, usually fro
referring to the first language a person learns to speak as a child, usually from their parents or family
Sari speaks French as her native language and learned English in school.
native language — the first language someone learns
The program looks for native speakers of Japanese to help with the translation work.
native speaker — a person who speaks the language from childhood
Wei's native tongue is Cantonese, though he grew up in Canada.
Even native speakers sometimes make mistakes with spelling and grammar.
- native language
- native speaker
- native tongue
- native speaker of
- mother tongue
slightly more personal and emotional; very common in learner contexts
- first language
neutral and formal; used in education and linguistics
- second language
a language learned after the native language
- foreign language
a language not spoken in the learner's home country
Grammar Patterns
native + noun (language, speaker, tongue)
Usage Note
'Native language' and 'mother tongue' are often used interchangeably, though 'mother tongue' feels slightly more personal and emotional.
Common Mistakes
5. the country where a person was born and spent their childhood, often with a sens
the country where a person was born and spent their childhood, often with a sense of belonging or attachment
After twenty years abroad, Harper decided to move back to her native land.
native land — the country where you were born and raised
The song is about soldiers who died far from their native soil.
Christopher felt a strong pull to return to his native country during the holidays.
Élise sends money home to her family in her native country every month.
- native country
- native land
- native soil
- homeland
more emotional and literary; often used in patriotic or nostalgic contexts
- country of origin
formal term used in official documents and immigration contexts
- adopted country
the country someone moves to and chooses to live in permanently
Grammar Patterns
native + noun (country, land, soil)
Usage Note
This sense overlaps with sense 1 (BIRTH PLACE), but is more specifically tied to the country level and carries a slightly more emotional tone of belonging and roots.
6. a quality or ability that people are born with, not one gained through learning
a quality or ability that people are born with, not one gained through learning or practice
The puppy showed a native intelligence that surprised even the trainer.
native intelligence — intelligence that comes naturally, not learned
Eve's native charm made everyone at the party feel welcome and at ease.
Some birds have a native ability to navigate over thousands of kilometres.
Michael never took a music lesson, but his native sense of rhythm was remarkable.
- native ability
- native talent
- native intelligence
- native charm
- native wit
Grammar Patterns
native + noun (ability, talent, intelligence, wit, charm, grace)
Usage Note
Typically used attributively before nouns of ability or personality. 'Innate' is a more common synonym in modern English; 'native' in this sense sounds slightly more literary.
Common Mistakes
7. found in nature as a pure chemical element, not mixed with other substances — us
found in nature as a pure chemical element, not mixed with other substances — used especially of metals and minerals
Native copper was used by ancient people to make tools and jewellery.
native copper — copper found in pure form in nature
Unlike many other metals, native gold can be shaped without heating.
The miners were excited to find a large deposit of native silver in the cave.
Native elements such as gold and copper are rare because most metals form compounds.
- native copper
- native gold
- native metal
- native silver
- native element
Grammar Patterns
native + noun (copper, gold, silver, iron)
Usage Note
This is a technical term used in geology and mining. It is not used in everyday conversation. The most common examples are 'native copper', 'native gold', and 'native silver'.
go native
idiomTo start living in the same way as the people who live in a place, especially when you are a visitor or newcomer.
After a year in the village, Tom decided to go native and wear local clothes.
Did Sara go native when she moved to Japan and started eating raw fish every day?
native — noun
1. someone whose birthplace is a specific location; also, any living thing found gr
someone whose birthplace is a specific location; also, any living thing found growing or living wild in that area without being brought by humans
Ilan is a native of Tel Aviv who now lives in London.
a native of + place — a person born in that place
The toucan is a native of the tropical forests of Central and South America.
The tour guide, a native, knew every street in the old town.
Niran showed us that the baobab is a native of Madagascar's dry woodlands.
a native of + place — a living thing that naturally occurs there
The festival was put together by natives of the village who now live abroad.
- a native of
- native-born
- local native
- local
everyday word; 'the locals' refers to people who live in an area, not necessarily born there
- resident
formal; someone who lives in a place, regardless of where they were born
- inhabitant
a person or animal that lives in a particular place
Grammar Patterns
native of + place
Usage Note
When referring to a person, 'native of + place' is neutral and unproblematic (e.g. 'a native of Japan'). However, using 'natives' (plural) to refer broadly to the original inhabitants of a colonised region can sound dated or offensive. For those situations, use 'Indigenous peoples' or a specific group name instead.
Common Mistakes
2. an extremely offensive, racist term for a person from a country that was colonis
an extremely offensive, racist term for a person from a country that was colonised, especially used by European colonists to refer to the original inhabitants of Africa, Asia, or the Americas in a dehumanising way
The old book called the local people 'natives', a term now seen as deeply offensive.
considered deeply offensive — this sense is now a racial slur
Historians no longer use the word 'natives' to describe the original inhabitants of colonised regions.
Calling a non-white person 'a native' in a former colony is unacceptable today.
The colonial officers called Tendai's grandfather a native, a label that still angers the family.
Grammar Patterns
(no common grammatical patterns — used as a stand-alone noun)
Usage Note
⚠️ WARNING: This sense is now considered a racial slur and is extremely offensive. Use 'Indigenous people', 'First Nations people', or the specific name of the ethnic group instead. This entry is included only so that learners can recognise the term and understand why it should NOT be used. The offensive sense applies only to the NOUN form; the adjective 'native' in phrases like 'native plants' or 'native language' is neutral and safe to use.
Common Mistakes
⚠️ Do not use 'native' as a noun to refer to a person from a group of original inhabitants. Say 'Indigenous person', 'First Nations person', or name the specific community (e.g. 'Navajo', 'Maori', 'Ainu').
Word family
- nativelyadverbC1
- nativitynounC2
- nativismnounC2
- nativistnounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/2
These four words all describe things that belong to a particular place, but they differ in emphasis and use. 'Native' is the most general and common: it describes plants, animals, and people that originate in a location naturally ('the dingo is native to Australia'). 'Indigenous' is more formal and is the preferred term for the original peoples of a region ('Indigenous communities in the Amazon'). For plants and animals, 'indigenous' is slightly more technical than 'native'. 'Local' is the everyday word for anything nearby or from the area, but it does not carry the sense of 'originally from here' — a local shop could be run by someone who moved there last year. 'Endemic' is a scientific term used in biology and medicine for species or diseases that are permanently established in a particular region ('malaria is endemic to tropical regions'). In everyday conversation, 'native' is the safest choice; in formal or academic writing about people, 'Indigenous' is preferred.
Common collocations
Nouns
- native speaker
- native language
- native country
- native land
- native species
- native plant
- native copper
Adverbs
- natively
Phrases
- go native
- native-born
Prepositions
- native to
- native of
Etymology
The word 'native' comes from the Latin word 'nativus', meaning 'born, natural', which is based on 'nasci' (to be born). It entered English through Old French 'natif' in the 1300s. The earliest meanings in English were about place of birth ('native country') and inborn qualities ('native wit'). The noun sense referring to local or original inhabitants developed in the 1500s, and by the 1700s it had acquired the colonial/racial undertones that later made the noun form offensive in many contexts.