indigenous
adj.-
1 native people (adj.) C1 Advanced Formal Academicbelonging to the first group of people to live in a country, especially before others arrived and took control.
relating to the original inhabitants of a territory, particularly in contrast to later colonial settlers.
ExampleThe museum features art created by the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest.
ExampleThe government is currently reviewing legislation to better protect the land rights of indigenous communities across the northern territories.
UsageOften capitalized (Indigenous) when referring to specific ethnic groups or legal identities.
- native
- aboriginal
- autochthonous
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2 native plants or animals (adj.) C1 Advanced Technical Academic Scienceliving or growing naturally in a particular place rather than being brought there from somewhere else.
originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native to a specific ecosystem.
ExampleThe park is home to many indigenous plants that can survive with very little water.
ExampleBiologists are concerned that the introduction of non-native trout will outcompete the indigenous species for limited food resources in the lake.
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3 innate or inborn (adj.) C2 Proficiency Literary Archaica quality or feeling that you are born with.
existing within a person from birth; innate or inherent to one's nature.
ExampleHe believed that a sense of justice was indigenous to the human heart.
ExampleThe philosopher argued that certain moral intuitions are indigenous to the mind rather than being products of social conditioning.
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in modern speech; 'innate' or 'inherent' are much more common in contemporary English.
Borrowed from Late Latin indigenus (“native, born in a country”), from indi- (indu-), an old derivative of in (“in”), gen- the root of gignō (“give birth to”), and English -ous. Compare indigene, Ancient Greek ἐνδογενής (endogenḗs, “born in the house”), and the separately formed piecewise doublet endogenous. Unrelated to Indian.