aboriginal
aboriginal Lexical Profile
aboriginal Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Australian Relating to the Australian Aboriginal peoples or their languages, cultures, and traditions (usually capitalized).
"She studied contemporary Aboriginal art and storytelling during her fellowship in Sydney."
Inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists; indigenous.
"The museum features an extensive collection of aboriginal artifacts and tools from across the continent."
• noun
Australian A member of the indigenous peoples of Australia (usually capitalized).
"The land rights movement was led by Aboriginals advocating for legal recognition of their ancestral territories."
An original or indigenous inhabitant of a place, or a native plant or animal species existing in a region from the earliest known times.
"The island's aboriginals developed complex agricultural systems centuries before European contact."
Word Nuance & Usage
When capitalized as 'Aboriginal', the word specifically refers to the indigenous peoples of Australia or Canada. As a standalone noun referring to people, 'Aboriginal' is now often considered dated or offensive in Australia and Canada; using it as an adjective (e.g., 'Aboriginal peoples' or 'Aboriginal Australians') or using specific group names is strongly preferred.
• Rhymes for aboriginal
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Latin 'aborigines' (meaning 'original inhabitants'), derived from the phrase 'ab origine', literally meaning 'from the beginning'.