indigenous

adjective

in·dig·e·nous | \ in-ˈdi-jə-nəs

Definition of indigenous

1 : produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment indigenous plants the indigenous culture

2 : innate, inborn

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Choose the Right Synonym for indigenous

native, indigenous, endemic, aboriginal mean belonging to a locality. native implies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it. native tribal customs indigenous applies to that which is not only native but which, as far as can be determined, has never been introduced or brought from elsewhere. indigenous plants endemic implies being peculiar to a region. a disease endemic in Africa aboriginal implies having no known others preceding in occupancy of a particular region. the aboriginal peoples of Australia

Examples of indigenous in a Sentence

Viking invaders quickly subdued the indigenous population, known as the Picts. — Jared M. Diamond, Collapse, 2005 Unlike France, Italy relies on dozens of indigenous regional grape varieties for its prodigious range of wines. — Gerald Asher, Gourmet, September 2002 Though Gilded Age architecture was not indigenous to America, at least it was borrowed from belle epoque Europe, from which much of America's late-nineteenth-century culture evolved. — Robert D. Kaplan, An Empire Wilderness, 1988 There are several indigenous groups that still live in the area. the culture of the indigenous people of that country

Recent Examples on the Web

In the 1990s, the region began working with a local university to preserve indigenous grapes. — Fortune, "Can New Grapes Save the Wine Industry From Climate Change?," 31 Aug. 2019 Since 1970, the Barona Band of Mission Indians has welcomed more than 1,000 Native Americans from all over the country to its annual Barona Powwow with indigenous dancing, singing and feasting. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "12 things to do in San Diego this weekend: Barona Powwow, Latinx New Play Festival, Sand Sculpting Challenge," 30 Aug. 2019 Limniona, an indigenous grape the young pair are particularly passionate about. — Marissa A. Ross, Bon Appétit, "If You Try One Greek Wine This Fall, Make It This," 28 Aug. 2019 Now that Bolsonaro has won, this indigenous land nonsense is over. — Carol Pires, The New Yorker, "The Trump Ally Who Is Allowing the Amazon to Burn," 28 Aug. 2019 A few months ago, the Mexican government began to take a vocal stance against international designers using indigenous Mexican designs without crediting the artists. — Sangeeta Singh-kurtz, Quartzy, "Governments are taking cultural appropriation to court," 28 Aug. 2019 Its agents have chased criminal loggers and gold prospectors out of indigenous territories. — Felipe Fittipaldi, National Geographic, "Inside the faltering fight against illegal Amazon logging," 28 Aug. 2019 But Bolsonaro’s government is less likely than his predecessors to respect indigenous rights. — Catesby Holmes, The Conversation, "The Amazon is burning: 4 essential reads on Brazil’s vanishing rainforest," 23 Aug. 2019 For subscribers: New poll puts Julian Castro in next round of 2020 Democratic debates His policy offerings this week won him endorsements from key indigenous peoples’ leaders nationally and in Iowa and Arizona. — Bill Lambrecht, ExpressNews.com, "Attacks on racism and Trump resonate for Texans Beto O’Rourke and Julián Castro," 20 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'indigenous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for indigenous

indigenous

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of indigenous

: produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment

See the full definition for indigenous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

indigenous

adjective

in·dig·e·nous | \ in-ˈdij-ə-nəs

Medical Definition of indigenous

1 : having originated in and being produced, growing, or living naturally in a particular region or environment a disease indigenous to the tropics colonization by small numbers of indigenous enteric bacteria— C. M. Kunin et al

2 : being inborn or innate a type of behavior that is indigenous to human beings

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indigenous

Definition of indigenous

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Choose the Right Synonym for indigenous

Examples of indigenous in a Sentence

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History and Etymology for indigenous

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indigenous

Definition of indigenous

Other Words from indigenous

Synonyms & Antonyms for indigenous

Choose the Right Synonym for indigenous

Examples of indigenous in a Sentence

First Known Use of indigenous

History and Etymology for indigenous

English Language Learners Definition of indigenous

Medical Definition of indigenous

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