- native
- na•tive[[t]ˈneɪ tɪv[/t]] adj.1) being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being:one's native land[/ex]2) belonging to a person by birth or to a thing by nature; inherent:native ability[/ex]3) pan belonging to or originating in a certain place; indigenous:native dress[/ex]4) cvb born in a particular place:a native Chicagoan[/ex]5) peo ling. of or pertaining to something first acquired by a person:one's native language[/ex]6) remaining or growing in a natural state:the desert's native beauty[/ex]7) originating naturally in a particular country or region, as animals or plants8) (of metals) occurring in nature pure or uncombined9) cmpa) designed for use with a specific type of computer:writing native applications for 32-bit PCs[/ex]b) cmp internal to a specific application program:to view the file in its native format[/ex]10) archaic closely related, as by birth11) off sometimes off. one of the people indigenous to a place, esp. as distinguished from foreigners, colonizers, etc.:the natives of Chile[/ex]12) a person born in a particular place or country:a native of Ohio[/ex]13) bio an animal, plant, etc., that is indigenous to a particular region•Etymology: 1325–75; < MF < L nātīvus inborn, natural, from nāt(us) (ptp. of nāscī to be born) na′tive•ly, adv. na′tive•ness, n. usage: Definition19is sometimes taken to be offensive because of colonialist and racial overtones. However, definition20is a neutral usage.
From formal English to slang. 2014.