Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

native

/ˈneɪtɪv/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.69 in modern English

Syllables
na-tive
IPA
/ˈneɪtɪv/
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Belonging to one by birth or ancestry.

adj

Alternative letter-case form of Native (of or relating to the native inhabitants of the Americas, or of Australia).

adj

Born or grown in the region in which it lives or is found; not foreign or imported.

adj

Which occurs of its own accord in a given locality, to be contrasted with a species introduced by humans.

adj

Arising by birth; having an origin; born.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English natif, from Old French natif, from Latin nātīvus, from nātus (“birth”). Doublet of naive and neif. Displaced native Middle English thedisch, equivalent to (puristic) theed + -ish. By surface analysis, Latin nat- + -ive. Compare also inborn.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *ǵenh₁-, natif, nātīvus

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /ˈneɪtɪv/

Usage

Inflected Forms

more native (comparative) most native (superlative) natiue (alternative, obsolete) natyf (alternative, obsolete) natives (plural)

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce native?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈneɪtɪv/.
What does native mean?
Belonging to one by birth or ancestry.
Where does native come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce native

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “native”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈneɪtɪv/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “native”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “native” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.