natives

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   People who were born and grew up in a particular place.

   Grammar: Plural of 'native'; used for more than one person, and often followed by 'of' plus a place.

   Patterns

   • natives of a place
   • the natives

   The island's natives speak their own language as well as English.

   She asked the natives of the village for advice about the mountain path.

   Natives of the region know which beaches are safe for swimming.

2. 2nounpluralbiology

   Animals or plants that naturally live or grow in a place.

   Grammar: Used especially in biology and gardening to talk about species that belong to an area.

   Patterns

   • natives of an area
   • natives to a region

   These plants are natives of South America.

   The park is home to many natives, including several rare birds.

   Gardeners often choose natives because they need less water.

Word forms

Common combinations

natives of the area

Only natives of the area can find the hidden waterfall.

local natives

The guide introduced us to some local natives who knew the forest well.

plant natives

We decided to plant natives in the garden this spring.

natives and settlers

The museum tells the story of both natives and settlers.

Synonyms and how they differ

locals

More neutral and common today; 'locals' simply means people who live in a place, without the historical weight of 'natives'.

inhabitants

More formal and can include people and animals; it focuses on living in a place rather than being born there.

Opposites

Word family

native adjective

Born in or belonging to a particular place.

natively adverb

In a way that relates to being born in a place, or (of plants/animals) naturally.

nativity noun

Birth, or the story of the birth of Jesus.

Commonly confused: natives or natives?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “natives”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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