native

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English natif, from Middle French, from Latin nativus, from natus, past participle of nasci to be born — more at nation Date: 14th century 1. inborn, innate <

native talents

> 2. belonging to a particular place by birth <

native to Wisconsin

> 3. archaic closely related 4. belonging to or associated with one by birth 5. natural, normal 6. a. grown, produced, or originating in a particular place or in the vicinity ; local b. living or growing naturally in a particular region ; indigenous 7. simple, unaffected 8. a. constituting the original substance or source b. found in nature especially in an unadulterated form <

mining native silver

> 9. chiefly Australian having a usually superficial resemblance to a specified English plant or animal 10. capitalized of, relating to, or being a member of an aboriginal people of North or South America ; Native American • natively adverb • nativeness noun Synonyms: native, indigenous, endemic, aboriginal mean belonging to a locality. native implies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it <

native tribal customs

>. indigenous applies to species or races and adds to native the implication of not having been introduced from elsewhere <

maize is indigenous to America

>. endemic implies being peculiar to a region <

edelweiss is endemic in the Alps

>. aboriginal implies having no known race preceding in occupancy of the region <

the aboriginal peoples of Australia

>. II. noun Date: 1535 1. one born or reared in a particular place 2. a. an original or indigenous inhabitant b. something indigenous to a particular locality 3. a local resident; especially a person who has always lived in a place as distinguished from a visitor or a temporary resident