native

1. noun

a native of Rome, New York

Syn:

inhabitant, resident, local; citizen, national; aborigine, autochthon; formal dweller

Ant:

foreigner

2. adjective

1)

the native peoples

Syn:

indigenous, original, first, earliest, aboriginal, autochthonous

Ant:

immigrant

2)

native produce

native plants

Syn:

domestic, homegrown, homemade, local; indigenous

Ant:

imported

3)

a native instinct for politics

Syn:

innate, inherent, inborn, instinctive, intuitive, natural; hereditary, inherited, congenital, inbred, connate

Ant:

acquired

4)

her native tongue

Syn:

mother, vernacular, first

••

native, aboriginal, endemic, indigenous

A native New Yorker is probably not indigenous, although both words apply to persons or things that belong to or are associated with a particular place by birth or origin. Native means born or produced in a specific region or country (native plants; native dances), but it can also apply to persons or things that were introduced from elsewhere some time ago — which is the case with most New Yorkers who consider themselves natives. Indigenous, on the other hand, is more restricted in meaning; it applies only to someone or something that is not only native but was not introduced from elsewhere (the pumpkin is indigenous to America). Generally speaking, native applies to individual organisms, while indigenous applies to races or species. Something that is endemic is prevalent in a particular region because of special conditions there that favor its growth or existence (heather is endemic in the Scottish Highlands; malaria is endemic in Central America). There are no longer any aboriginal New Yorkers, a word that refers to the earliest known inhabitants of a place or to ancient peoples who have no known ancestors and have inhabited a region since its earliest historical time. Australia is known for its aboriginal culture, which was preserved for centuries through geographical isolation.