non-native

adjective

non-na·tive ˌnän-ˈnā-tiv

variants or nonnative

: not native: such as

of a plant or animal : living or growing in a place that is not the location of its natural occurrence

a non-native fish species

… overgrazing causes grasslands to give way to sagebrush, mesquite and non-native exotic grasses, environmentalists contend.—

Doug McInnis

: not born or raised in the place where a particular language is spoken

non-native inhabitants

a nonnative speaker of English [=a person who speaks English but whose native language is not English]

non-native noun

or nonnative

plural non-natives or nonnatives

popular among both natives and non-natives

Examples of non-native in a Sentence

nonnative customs that made the recent immigrants stand out in their new country

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.

After Europeans began colonizing New Zealand, non-native mammals, like possums, deer, wallabies and wild pigs, were introduced to the island. —

Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025 The introduction of non-native grasses in the 1700s fundamentally altered this balance. —

Hannah Singleton, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025 The herd, owned by resident Mike Kay, who moved to San Clemente after losing his own home in Sonoma to the destructive Tubbs fire, will be used to munch vegetation and non-native plants as the beach town looks to reduce wildfire risks. —

Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2025 Chatterjee points to the long-term increase in non-native flora and fauna in the region. —

Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for non-native