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
Did you know?
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 As the executive director of the International Snow Leopard Trust, Mishra pioneered community conservation and his team protects up to 58,000 square miles of snow leopard habitat in partnership with indigenous communities. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Sep. 2024 This contamination hurts indigenous people who depend on the rivers for fishing, bathing and drinking, causing long-term health and environmental problems. —Jalynn Hilton, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2024 Marquez says his research program is focused on how these frogs (named after the use of their toxin for poison darts by the Embera indigenous people) have evolved to avoid the harmful effects associated with consuming and accumulating toxic alkaloids. —Andrew Wight, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024 But the new queen is ascending at a particularly important time: New Zealand’s right-leaning coalition government has faced widespread criticism for dismantling initiatives that benefit indigenous people since taking power last year. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for indigenous 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indigenous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 2 Oct. 2024.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on indigenous
Last Updated: 23 Sep 2024 - Definition revised
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!