indigenous
indigenous Lexical Profile
indigenous Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native to a specific region or environment.
"The botanical garden features a dedicated section for plants that are indigenous to the local desert ecosystem."
Relating to or descending from the earliest known inhabitants of a geographic region, especially before colonization (often capitalized when referring to peoples or cultures).
"The museum collaborated with local elders to preserve and teach indigenous languages."
Innate, inherent, or naturally belonging to a particular context or character.
"A spirit of resilience and mutual aid seemed indigenous to the small mountain community."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'indigenous' with 'indigent' (meaning impoverished or needy) or 'ingenuous' (meaning innocent and unsuspecting). Additionally, in biology, 'indigenous' refers to species occurring naturally in a region (which may also exist naturally elsewhere), whereas 'endemic' refers strictly to species found naturally in that single region and nowhere else.
• Rhymes for indigenous
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Late Latin indigenus, from Latin indigena ('native, sprung from the land'), formed from Old Latin indu ('in, within') and the root of gignere ('to beget, produce').