aborigine
aborigine Lexical Profile
aborigine Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person, animal, or plant that has been in a country or region from earliest times; an original or indigenous inhabitant.
"Anthropologists studied the ancient artifacts left behind by the aborigines of the island."
Australian An Aboriginal Australian (usually capitalized; now often considered dated or offensive in favor of "Aboriginal person" or "Indigenous Australian").
"Earlier historical texts frequently used the capitalized term to describe the indigenous peoples of the Australian continent."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary usage, the noun "Aborigine" is often considered dated or insensitive when referring to Indigenous Australians; preferred terms include "Aboriginal person," "Aboriginal Australian," or the name of the specific language group or nation.
• Rhymes for aborigine
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Back-formed in the 19th century from the plural noun "aborigines," which derives from the Latin phrase "ab origine," meaning "from the beginning."