# native

/ˈneɪtɪv/ (US) · /nˈeɪtɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/native
Updated: 2026-07-22

## Senses

### 1. place of birth

adjective · CEFR B1

describing the place where you were born and grew up.

For teachers: relating to the place or circumstances of one's birth.

- After twenty years in London, she finally returned to her native village in Scotland.
- Despite living abroad for decades, he never lost the distinctive accent of his native city, which remained a core part of his identity.

### 2. biology/nature

adjective · CEFR B2

describing plants or animals that live naturally in a place, rather than being brought there by people.

For teachers: originating or occurring naturally in a particular country or region; not introduced or invasive.

- The park is full of native trees that provide food for local birds.
- Conservationists are working to remove invasive vines that threaten to smother the native flora of the river valley.

### 3. computing

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing software designed to run on a specific type of computer or system.

For teachers: designed for or built into a specific system or architecture, rather than running through an emulator or third-party layer.

- The app runs much faster now that it has a native version for this tablet.
- The developer recommended using native code to ensure the application could fully exploit the hardware's processing power without latency.

### 4. a local person

noun · CEFR B1

someone who was born in a particular place.

For teachers: a person born in a specified place or associated with a place by birth.

- As a native of New York, he knew all the best places to eat that tourists never found.
- The festival is a point of pride for the natives of the island, who spend months preparing the traditional costumes.

### 5. native speaker

noun · CEFR B1

someone who has spoken a particular language since they were a baby.

For teachers: a person who has spoken a specified language from earliest childhood.

- If you have a question about a difficult phrase, ask a native.
- The language school employs several natives to ensure students are exposed to natural intonation and contemporary slang.

### 6. indigenous person

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a member of the original group of people living in a country before others arrived.

For teachers: a member of the original inhabitants of a region, especially in a colonial context.

- The museum exhibition was designed in collaboration with the local Natives.
- The treaty sought to protect the land rights of the natives against further encroachment by industrial interests.

Usage: Often capitalized (Native) when referring to specific groups in North America or Australia.

Teaching tip: In many modern contexts, using 'native' as a noun for a person can be seen as offensive or patronizing due to colonial history; 'indigenous person' or specific group names are often preferred.

## Examples

- She is a native of New York.
- Although he has lived in London for twenty years, he is a native of Edinburgh and still visits his family there every summer.
- The museum's latest exhibit features oral histories from city natives who remember the waterfront before the industrial decline of the late twentieth century.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.