native

[ney-tiv] /ˈneɪ tɪv/
adjective
1.
being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being:
one's native land.
2.
belonging to a person by birth or to a thing by nature; inherent:
native ability; native grace.
3.
belonging by birth to a people regarded as indigenous to a certain place, especially a preliterate people:
Native guides accompanied the expedition through the rain forest.
4.
of indigenous origin, growth, or production:
native pottery.
5.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the indigenous inhabitants of a place or country:
native customs; native dress.
6.
born in a particular place or country:
a native New Yorker.
7.
of or pertaining to a language acquired by a person before or to the exclusion of any other language:
Her native language is Greek.
8.
pertaining to or characteristic of a person using his or her native language:
a native speaker of English; native command of a language.
9.
under the rule of natives:
a native government.
10.
occupied by natives:
the native quarter of Algiers.
11.
remaining or growing in a natural state; unadorned or unchanged:
the native beauty of a desert island.
12.
forming the source or origin of a person or thing:
He returned to his native Kansas.
13.
originating naturally in a particular country or region, as animals or plants.
14.
found in nature rather than produced artificially, as a mineral substance:
the difference between native and industrial diamonds.
15.
Chemistry, Mineralogy. (of metals) occurring in nature pure or uncombined:
native copper.
16.
belonging to a person as a birthright:
to deprive a person of his native rights.
17.
Computers.
  1. designed for use with a specific type of computer:
    writing native applications for 32-bit PCs.
  2. internal to a specific application program:
    to view the file in its native format.
18.
Archaic. closely related, as by birth.
noun
19.
one of the people indigenous to a place or country, especially as distinguished from strangers, foreigners, colonizers, etc.:
the natives of Chile.
20.
a person born in a particular place or country:
a native of Ohio.
21.
an organism indigenous to a particular region.
22.
British. an oyster reared in British waters, especially in an artificial bed.
23.
Astrology. a person born under a particular planet.
Idioms
24.
go native, Informal. to adopt or affect the manners or way of life of a place or environment that is different from one's own, especially a less developed country:
After living on the island for a year, we went native and began to wear the local costume.
Origin
1325-75; < Latin nātīvus inborn, natural, equivalent to nāt(us) (past participle of nāscī to be born) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English natif (adj.) < Middle French < Latin, as above
Related forms
natively, adverb
nativeness, noun
nonnative, adjective, noun
nonnatively, adverb
nonnativeness, noun
pronative, adjective
quasi-native, adjective
unnative, adjective
Synonyms
2. inherited, innate, inbred, congenital. 4. autochthonous, aboriginal. 11. real, genuine, original. 24. aborigine.
Antonyms
2. acquired. 24. alien.
Examples from the web for native
  • Barring the agent herself, there was not a native-born individual in the court.
  • His fond landscapes flagrantly rhapsodize his native land.
  • The biggest threat to wildlife here is the introduction of non-native species.
  • Viruses have depleted the native populations of several continents.
  • Your english is good, but it is apparent you are not a native speaker.
  • He's a native of Plymouth.
  • Anonymity is your name, silence your native tongue.
  • The move frequently upsets the local ecosystem to such an extent that many native species become extinct.
  • English is not my native language.
  • Tigers and gazelles are not native to the same continents.
British Dictionary definitions for native

native

/ˈneɪtɪv/
adjective
1.
relating or belonging to a person or thing by virtue of conditions existing at the time of birth: my native city
2.
inherent, natural, or innate: a native strength
3.
born in a specified place: a native German
4.
when postpositive, foll by to. originating in a specific place or area: kangaroos are native to Australia
5.
characteristic of or relating to the indigenous inhabitants of a country or area: the native art of the New Guinea Highlands
6.
(of chemical elements, esp metals) found naturally in the elemental form
7.
unadulterated by civilization, artifice, or adornment; natural
8.
(archaic) related by birth or race
9.
go native, (of a settler) to adopt the lifestyle of the local population, esp when it appears less civilized
noun
10.
(usually foll by of) a person born in a particular place: a native of Geneva
11.
(usually foll by of) a species originating in a particular place or area: the kangaroo is a native of Australia
12.
a member of an indigenous people of a country or area, esp a non-White people, as opposed to colonial settlers and immigrants
13.
(offensive, old-fashioned) any non-White
Derived Forms
natively, adverb
nativeness, noun
Usage note
Because of its potentially offensive and colonial overtones, native as a noun without qualification is best avoided. It is however acceptable when modified, as in :natives of Edinburgh, or a native of North Carolina
Word Origin
C14: from Latin nātīvus innate, natural, from nascī to be born
Word Origin and History for native
adj.

late 14c., "natural, hereditary, connected with something in a natural way," from Old French natif "native, born in; raw, unspoiled" (14c.) and directly from Latin nativus "innate, produced by birth," from natus, past participle of nasci (Old Latin gnasci) "be born," related to gignere "beget," from PIE root *gene-/*gen- "to give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to familial and tribal groups (see genus). From late 15c. as "born in a particular place." From early 15c. as "of one's birth," also used from mid-15c. in sense of "bound; born in servitude or serfdom," also, as a noun "a bondsman, serf." Native American attested from 1956.

n.

mid-15c., "person born in bondage," from native (adj.), and in some usages from Medieval Latin nativus, noun use of nativus (adj.). Cf. Old French naif, also "woman born in slavery." From 1530s as "person who has always lived in a place." Applied from 1650s to original inhabitants of non-European nations where Europeans hold political power, e.g., of American Indians, by 1630s; hence, used contemptuously of "the locals" from 1800. Related: Natives.

native in Medicine

native na·tive (nā'tĭv)
adj.

  1. Originating, growing, or produced in a certain place or region; indigenous.

  2. Occurring in nature pure or uncombined with other substances.

native in Science
native
  (nā'tĭv)   

  1. Living or growing naturally in a particular place or region; indigenous.

  2. Occurring in nature on its own, uncombined with other substances. Copper and gold are often found in native form.

  3. Of or relating to the naturally occurring conformation of a macromolecule, such as a protein.


Slang definitions & phrases for native

native

Related Terms

go native