natives

Definition of nativesnext
plural of native
1
as in residents
a usually longtime resident of a locality the natives seem to resent the summer tourists even though they depend upon them for their livelihood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in aborigines
a member of the first people to inhabit a region the anthropologist spent two years living among the island's natives and observing and documenting their customs and traditions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of natives More Afghan natives live in western and northern Arden Arcade, than in any other ZIP code in America, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting. Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026 The logic of settler-colonialism is the elimination of the natives in order to take over the land and its resources. Literary Hub, 14 May 2026 Maye and Hill are also both North Carolina natives. Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026 The Chinese natives are currently incarcerated at the Ventura County Main Jail and the Todd Road Jail, respectively, and face up to four years’ imprisonment followed by two years of probation. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 The festival will feature musical performances from R&B, hip-hop and Afrobeats artists, including Opa-locka natives Ball Greezy and Tierra Traniece. Joshua Ceballos, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026 But a new breed of digital natives is reversing the tide. Lucy Jones may 12, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026 Rahma is one of a number of digital natives making a name for themselves on YouTube alongside the likes of Hot Ones’ Sean Evans, Feeding Starving Celebrities’ Quenlin Blackwell, Royal Court’s Brittany Broski and Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg. Peter White, Deadline, 12 May 2026 Friends since first grade and bandmates since high school, the two 32-year-old Rogers Park natives and founding members of the then-dormant Chicago indie-rock band Twin Peaks weren’t at the Pilsen venue scouting locations for a potential reformation. Blair R. Fischer, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for natives
Noun
  • Most of the residents of the Hamad Building had lived there for decades.
    Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
  • Many residents urged council members to reject a pause and approve a permanent ban instead.
    Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • The Allende little ones introduced Middleton to the park’s inhabitants—turtles, ducks, frogs—and took her to see the pond.
    Stefania Saltalamacchia, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
  • Before pushing off from the beach, guides explain the deep spiritual connection the kamaʻāina (native born) have with the ocean and its inhabitants.
    Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Bill Vasilakopoulos, who is seeking to build an AI data center on his property in Joppa, asked locals and lawmakers to consider the economic opportunities tied to the development.
    Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 20 May 2026
  • As locals will recall, Parker and Stone bought Casa Bonita out of bankruptcy in 2021 and worked for nearly two years to rehab and reopen the venue, complete with the cliff divers, magic show and other attractions people loved about it.
    Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 19 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Natives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/natives. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on natives

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster