Definition of INDIGENOUS
1
a
: produced, growing, living, or occurring natively or naturally in a particular region or environment
The forested 1-acre lot has a pool surrounded by indigenous grasses, lawns, and specimen trees …—
The Week
b
usually Indigenous : of, relating to, or descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a place and especially of a place that was colonized
The Day of the Dead has roots in Indigenous Aztec culture.—Nicole Ferraro and Katarina Avendaño
In pockets all over the world, Indigenous communities are teaching scientists to care for the ocean using knowledge passed down over generations.—Julia Jacobo
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 of indigenous
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 to many countries
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
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.
There are also roaring fireplaces in the communal areas (usually presided over by a moose or elk bust), oodles of wood and leather furniture, pieces of Indigenous art throughout, and floor-to-ceiling windows facing the mountains.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Some exceptions are made for indigenous communities, who use guns for hunting.
—Richard Hall, Time, 11 Feb. 2026
Owner Mick Washington makes the frybread and chumuth (Indigenous-style tortillas) by hand.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Even the bathrooms evoke memories of home, one decorated like his grandma’s house, and the other evoking a tropical rainforest with the sounds of birds and frogs indigenous to the island.
—Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
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Word History
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Cite this Entry
“Indigenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigenous. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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