Definition of INDIGENOUS (original) (raw)
1
a
: produced, growing, living, or occurring natively or naturally in a particular region or environment
b
Indigenous or less commonly indigenous : of, relating to, or descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a place and especially of a place that was colonized
Indigenous peoples/cultures
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Indigenous derives from the Latin noun indigena (meaning "native"), which was formed by combining Old Latin indu (meaning "in" or "within") with the verb gignere (meaning "to beget"). Another term that comes from the indigena root is indigene, a word for a plant or animal that lives, grows, or originates in a certain area. Indigene is the older of the two; it has been used in English since the late 16th century, whereas the earliest documented use of indigenous occurred nearly 50 years later. Indigenous is used in scientific contexts to describe organisms and the habitats to which they belong, and in expressly non-scientific contexts, as in "emotions indigenous to the human spirit." Most often, however, it's used to describe the native inhabitants of a place.
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for indigenous
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.
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That informative announcement asks the audience to acknowledge the indigenous people on whose ancestral lands the theater now stands. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2025 During the peak years of the gold rush, the population of indigenous people in California dropped from some 150,000 to roughly 31,000, according to the International Indian Treaty Council. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025 This is major news in the world of indigenous resistance. —Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2025 The tribe, as well as other indigenous nations, including the Kletsel Dehe Wintun and the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, envision preserving an old trade route, as well as improving a recreational trail to attract hikers, sightseers and bikers from San Francisco to Sacramento. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for indigenous 
Word History
Etymology
Late Latin indigenus, from Latin indigena, noun, native, from Old Latin indu, endo in, within + Latin gignere to beget — more at end-, kin
First Known Use
1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
Time Traveler
The first known use of indigenous was in 1632
Dictionary Entries Near indigenous
Cite this Entry
“Indigenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigenous. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 9 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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