Definition of "native" in English

adjective

1. Belonging to one by birth.

   • This is my native land.
   • English is not my native language.
   • I need a volunteer native New Yorker for my next joke…

2. Characteristic of or relating to people inhabiting a region from prehistoric times.

   • What are now called ‘Native Americans’ used to be called Indians.

3. Alternative letter-case form of Native (of or relating to the native inhabitants of the Americas, or of Australia).

4. Born or grown in the region in which it lives or is found; not foreign or imported.

   • a native inhabitant
   • native oysters or strawberries
   • Many native artists studied abroad.

5. (biology, of a species) Which occurs of its own accord in a given locality, to be contrasted with a species introduced by humans.

   • The naturalized Norway maple often outcompetes the native North American sugar maple.

6. (computing, of software) Pertaining to the system or architecture in question.

   • This is a native back-end to gather the latest news feeds.
   • The native integer size is sixteen bits.
   • cloud native, crypto native

7. (mineralogy) Occurring naturally in its pure or uncombined form.

   • native aluminium
   • native salt

8. Arising by birth; having an origin; born.

9. Original; constituting the original substance of anything.

   • native dust

10. Naturally related; cognate; connected (with).

noun

1. A person who is native to a place; a person who was born in a place.

2. (in particular) A person of aboriginal descent, as distinguished from a person who was or whose ancestors were foreigners or settlers/colonizers. Alternative letter-case form of Native (aboriginal inhabitant of the Americas or Australia).

3. A native speaker.

4. An oyster of species Ostrea edulis.