Indigenous people or things belong to the country in which they are found, rather than coming there or being brought there from another country.
[formal]
...the country's indigenous population.
...animals that are indigenous to Asia.
Synonyms: native, original, aboriginal, home-grown More Synonyms of indigenous
indigenous in British English
(ɪnˈdɪdʒɪnəs)
adjective(whenpostpositive, foll by to)
1.
originating or occurring naturally (in a country, region, etc); native
2.
innate (to); inherent (in)
Derived forms
indigenously (inˈdigenously)
adverb
indigenousness (inˈdigenousness) or indigenity (ˌɪndɪˈdʒɛnɪtɪ)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Latin indigenus, from indigena indigene, from indi- in + gignere to beget
indigenous in American English
(ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs)
adjective
1.
existing, growing, or produced naturally in a region or country; belonging (to) as a native
2.
innate; inherent; inborn
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈnative
Derived forms
indigenously (inˈdigenously)
adverb
indigenousness (inˈdigenousness)
noun
Word origin
LL indigenus < L indegena: see indigene
Examples of 'indigenous' in a sentence
indigenous
Along the way they visit a goldmine, a remote farm and a harvest festival by indigenous people.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The park is also home to indigenous tribes.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There will be no indigenous people except the seagulls.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There will be no indigenous population except seagulls.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Conflict between the indigenous people and settlers is inevitable.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The island is too far from anywhere to have had an indigenous population.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What's missing from the indigenous culture?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Stunning Canadian landscapes and scenes of a disappeared indigenous culture.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But large numbers of new people don't necessarily wipe out indigenous culture.
Francis Pryor BRITAIN BC: Life In Britain and Ireland before the Romans (2003)
The resulting portraits are an extensive, evocative and important record of indigenous peoples.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
One non-negotiable condition was the removal of the indigenous population of the island.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
I always try to taste the indigenous culture.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In any other country, such an indigenous tribe would be awarded huge grants to preserve its unique culture.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Prior to that the Scots were just another indigenous tribe that shared this island with all of the other tribes.
The Sun (2014)
In cases of intervention, credibility with the indigenous people involves securing their acceptance of the means and goals of our action.
Abshire, David M. Preventing World War III - A Realistic Grand Strategy (1988)
They wrote that'there will be no indigenous population except seagulls '.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It is the responsibility of the church in each place to affirm the meaning and value of a people, especially where indigenous cultures face extinction.
Christianity Today (2000)
In other languages
indigenous
British English: indigenous ADJECTIVE
Indigenous people or things belong to the country in which they are found.
...the country's indigenous population.
American English: indigenous
Brazilian Portuguese: indígena
Chinese: 本土的
European Spanish: indígena
French: indigène
German: einheimisch
Italian: indigeno
Japanese: 原産の
Korean: 토착의
European Portuguese: indígena
Latin American Spanish: indígena
(adjective)
Definition
originating or occurring naturally in a country or area
the country's indigenous population
Synonyms
native
a spokeswoman for native peoples around the world
original
The Dayaks were the original inhabitants of Borneo.
aboriginal
The country's aboriginal people have been marginalized and forgotten.
home-grown
autochthonous
Additional synonyms
in the sense of aboriginal
Definition
existing in a place from the earliest known period
The country's aboriginal people have been marginalized and forgotten.
Synonyms
indigenous,
first,
earliest,
original,
primary,
ancient,
native,
primitive,
pristine,
primordial,
primeval,
autochthonous
in the sense of original
Definition
first or earliest
The Dayaks were the original inhabitants of Borneo.