born in a particular place or connected with it since birth
Maria is a native New Yorker and knows every corner of the city.
I speak several languages, but my native country is Brazil.
✦ From Latin ‘nativus’ meaning ‘innate, produced by birth’.
a person who was born in a particular place
The natives guided us safely through the dense jungle.
Many natives sell handmade crafts at the village market.
✦ Same origin as the adjective: Latin ‘nativus’.
(of a plant or animal) originally growing or living in a place, not brought from elsewhere
The kangaroo is native to Australia.
These pine trees are native and grow naturally in the mountains.
✦ Linked to sense of ‘born in’; plants and animals ‘born’ in the place.
describing someone’s first language learned from birth
English is her native language even though she lives in Germany.
The company wants translators who have native fluency in Spanish.
✦ Extended from place-of-birth sense to language learned from birth.
existing in a person or thing from birth; natural or inborn
She has a native talent for painting that amazes her teachers.
His native curiosity led him to read every science book he could find.
✦ Latin ‘nativus’ also meant ‘inborn’, leading to this figurative use.
(computing) designed to run directly on a particular operating system or device without special translation
The phone’s native camera app opens faster than third-party ones.
Developers prefer native code for better performance on mobile devices.
✦ Borrowed into tech jargon in the late 20th century, extending idea of ‘belonging naturally’.
something that can be chosen instead of another thing
If you do not like coffee, a cup of tea is a good alternative.
Carpooling offers an eco-friendly alternative to driving alone.
✦ late 16th century: from French alternatif or medieval Latin alternativus, from Latin alternare ‘to alternate’.
different from the usual or main one; offering another possibility
Many commuters are switching to alternative energy cars to reduce pollution.
The school offers alternative teaching methods like outdoor classes and project-based learning.
✦ See noun etymology.
having or showing a lot of imagination or new, clever ideas.
Her imaginative stories always surprise everyone.
The chef created an imaginative new dish.
✦ Mid-17th century: from French imaganatif, -ive or medieval Latin imaginativus, from Latin imaginat- ‘imagined’, from the verb imaginari.
