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

The island’s population of about 58,000 is 90 percent Greenlandic, making it a fitting target for a nation with a history of annexing the territory of indigenous peoples. — Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, "The acquisition of Greenland would trump the Louisiana Purchase," 16 Aug. 2019 Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is more than three times the size of Texas, with about 56,000 inhabitants, most of them indigenous peoples native to the island. — Katherine Dunn, Fortune, "Trump Reportedly Wants To Buy Greenland. Greenland Says: No, Thank You," 16 Aug. 2019 Historians haven't documented what Greenland's indigenous peoples thought of the proposal, or if they were even consulted. — Author: Antonia Noori Farzan, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump reportedly wants to buy Greenland. So did the Truman administration.," 16 Aug. 2019 Rhodes, whose neo-soul restaurant Indigo is inspired by the foodways of African slaves and indigenous people, called food deserts an important socio-economic issue. — Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle, "Chefs team up to raise awareness of Houston’s food deserts," 16 Aug. 2019 So the culture of Africa and indigenous peoples are shown in our cinema, and will be shown in our cinema. — Agustin Mango, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Loveling' Tops Brazilian Academy Awards at Politically Charged Ceremony," 15 Aug. 2019 The drawing itself is how it is depicted by the indigenous people, the Taino. — Shawn Mcfarland, courant.com, "Hartford native Jacob Conde will suit up for the Puerto Rican national team on Saturday, with his father watching, and a dream still alive," 15 Aug. 2019 The Long Barrack was constructed by Spanish craftsmen and indigenous people of the Mission San Antonio de Valero. — Scott Huddleston, ExpressNews.com, "Alamo’s oldest wall being studied in ‘unprecedented’ digs," 13 Aug. 2019 Historically, indigenous peoples and groups like women have been left out of the decision-making process for these kinds of initiatives. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Report: we have to change how we use land and produce food to fight climate change," 8 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

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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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