native language

[ ney-tiv lang-gwij ]

noun

1. a language that a person acquires fully through extensive exposure in childhood:

   Many Diné children learn Navajo as a native language.

Word History and Origins

Origin of native language¹

First recorded in 1425–75 as natife langage

Example Sentences

When judging in Italian, I felt I could conceal some aspects of my identity, as it’s not my native language.

From Salon

Everyone uses it as the default, even teams from countries where the native language is different and in which the two drivers speak that language.

From BBC

TV and weather presenter Sian Lloyd posted about the incident on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: "Friends of mine have just been thrown out for singing in their native language."

From BBC

A pair of proudly Irish-speaking lads stump for their marginalized native language when they become underground rappers in the box-bursting, enjoyable “Kneecap.”

From Los Angeles Times

When Laura Pantoja immigrated to Santa Ana from Mexico City in the early 1990s, she could choose from about a dozen local newspapers in her native language.

From Los Angeles Times