indigenous

American  

[in-dij-uh-nuhs] / ɪnˈdɪdʒ ə nəs /

adjective

1. originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often followed byto ).

   the plants indigenous to Canada.

   Synonyms:

   natural, aboriginal, autochthonous

   Antonyms:

   exotic, foreign

2. Indigenous. relating to or being a people who are the original, earliest known inhabitants of a region, or are their descendants: the Indigenous languages of the Americas.

   the Indigenous Maori of New Zealand;

   the Indigenous languages of the Americas.

3. innate; inherent; natural (usually followed byto ).

   feelings indigenous to human beings.

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indigenous British  

/ ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs, ˌɪndɪˈdʒɛnɪtɪ /

adjective

1. originating or occurring naturally (in a country, region, etc); native

2. innate (to); inherent (in)

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indigenous Scientific  

/ ĭn-dĭj′ə-nəs /

1. Native to a particular region or environment but occurring naturally in other places as well. The American black bear is indigenous to many different parts of North America.

2. Compare alien endemic

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Other Word Forms

• indigenity noun
• indigenously adverb
• indigenousness noun
• nonindigenous adjective
• unindigenous adjective
• unindigenously adverb

Etymology

Origin of indigenous

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin indigen(a) “native, original inhabitant” ( indi-, by-form of in- in- ² ( indagate ) + -gena, derivative from base of gignere “to bring into being”; genital, genitor ) + -ous

Example Sentences

Visiting Nashville, Tenn., Ms. Gage considers Andrew Jackson critically as the ruthless bane of indigenous people that he was, but she misses an opportunity to explore his Scots-Irish identity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The Maoists said they were fighting for the rights of marginalised indigenous people in forest regions, where mining companies also eye valuable resources.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

His tenure as mayor was marked by efforts to clean up the city, preserve indigenous heritage, and a crackdown on corruption.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

He was a champion, too, of indigenous American culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The first European adventurers in the Western Hemisphere did not make careful population counts, but they repeatedly described indigenous America as a crowded, jostling place—“a beehive of people,” as Las Casas put it in 1542.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• congenital
• connate
• constitutional
• essential
• fundamental
• inborn
• inherent
• inherited
• innate
• intrinsic
• natural
• unacquired