native-born

adjective

na·​tive-born ˈnā-tiv-ˌbȯrn How to pronounce native-born (audio)
: belonging to or associated with a particular place (such as a country) because of being born in that place
a native-born American/Texan
compare natural-born

Examples of native-born in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Republicans tend to be religious, rural, native-born, older, male, and less educated. Isabel Sawhill, Foreign Affairs, 4 Jan. 2021 One factor is immigrants, who made up 30% of the population in 2018 and who tend to have a higher life expectancy than those who are native-born, therefore positively contributing to national life expectancy. New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2024 Displaced migrants have higher employment rates than the native-born. Eduardo Porter, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024 That’s in keeping with long-standing statistical realities: immigrants, by and large, commit crimes at lower rates than the native-born. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2024 Some constitutional clauses, like the requirement that the President be native-born, are rules, but many, like the equal-protection clause (the only reference to equality in the entire document), are principles. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024 On nearly every question, there was little gap between Latinos who are English-dominant and Latinos who prefer Spanish — a stand-in of sorts for the native-born and immigrants. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 That far outpaces the next closest states at retaining their native-born. Paul O'Donnell, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023 Italians of African descent, including immigrants and native-born, currently make up at least 1.1 million of Italy's 60 million residents, according to 2022 demographic statistics. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 20 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of native-born was in 1645

Dictionary Entries Near native-born

Cite this Entry

“Native-born.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/native-born. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!