indigenous
Adjective Satellite
- originating where it is found
- "the Ainu are indigenous to the northernmost islands of Japan"
Adj
- Born or originating in, native to a land or region, especially before an intrusion.
- Born or originating in, native to a land or region, especially before an intrusion.
- In particular, of or relating to a people (or their language or culture) that inhabited a region prior to the arrival of people of other cultures which became dominant (e.g., through colonialism), and which maintains a distinct culture.
- Innate, inborn.
Examples
- The Ainu are the indigenous ethnic group of Japan's Hokkaido Island.
Origin / Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin indigenus (“native, born in a country”), from indi- (indu-), an old derivative of in (“in”), gen- the root of gignō (“give birth to”), and English -ous. Compare indigene, Ancient Greek ἐνδογενής (endogenḗs, “born in the house”), and the separately formed piecewise doublet endogenous. Unrelated to Indian.
Synonyms
autochthonal, autochthonic, autochthonous, endemic, aboriginal, connatural, local, natural
Scrabble Score: 12
indigenous: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordindigenous: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
indigenous: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary