indigenous
Americanadjective
-
originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often followed byto ).
the plants indigenous to Canada.
- Synonyms:
- natural, aboriginal, autochthonous
-
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.
-
innate; inherent; natural (usually followed byto ).
feelings indigenous to human beings.
adjective
-
originating or occurring naturally (in a country, region, etc); native
-
innate (to); inherent (in)
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although the Congolese state officially recognises indigenous communities' right to their ancestral territory, they struggle to impose this in the face of corruption when land concessions are granted.
From Barron's
Four of the mine’s leaders—one each from the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Venezuelan national guard and the local indigenous group—met for 40 minutes at a table outside.
Vargas Llosa intersperses the story with nimbly delivered informational chapters explaining the history and influences of the Peruvian vals, or waltz, which synthesizes European and indigenous musical styles.
But losses are disproportionately high among small indigenous groups, especially in economically depressed areas of Siberia and the Far East, such as Sedanka.
From BBC
There are currently six deer species in Britain – red, sika, fallow, roe, muntjac and Chinese water - but only red and roe are "truly indigenous", according to the British Deer Society.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
