Native American

¹ American  

[ney-tiv uh-mer-i-kuhn] / ˈneɪ tɪv əˈmɛr ɪ kən /

noun

1. Indian.

2. a member of any of the aboriginal peoples of the Americas, including Indians and non-Indians.

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native American ² American  

noun

1. a person born in the United States.

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Native American British  

noun

1. A member of the indigenous peoples of North America

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Native Americans or any of their languages

Sensitive Note

See Indian, Eskimo.

Other Word Forms

• native-American adjective

Etymology

Origin of native American

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

A4 academic support programs for elementary students were first implemented during summer and after school, before expanding to year-round services at over a dozen schools with the largest populations of Black, Latino, Afro-Latino, Hmong, Native American and Pacific Islander students.

From Los Angeles Times

Vargas and her 5-year-old daughter, who is Native American and African American, have received resources to learn at home, preparing her for kindergarten this year.

From Los Angeles Times

He said he never meant to intentionally mislead people, believing that he genuinely had Native American ancestry.

From BBC

"I've spent many years talking with people of Native American ancestry," Kidder said, noting that Grooms is a member of the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina.

From Science Daily

A flurry of legal actions have ensued, including an injunction request by Native American tribes in California that was denied by a federal judge and another ruling that was favorable to the state of Maryland, in which a federal judge said federal law can’t stop Maryland from regulating sports-event contracts.

From MarketWatch