non-native
adjective
non-na·tive
ˌnän-ˈnā-tiv 
variants
or nonnative
: not native: such as
a
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
Doug McInnis
b
: 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
Our findings offer several valuable takeaways: Invest in language training: This can significantly enhance any non-native team members’ ability to communicate and contribute to the workplace.
—Iese Business School, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Invasive, non-native vines, like kudzu and oriental bittersweet, have given vining plants a bad reputation.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024
Many of the native plants are in their summer dormancy now, but the garden is still a quilt of greens in every shade, along with native roses and non-natives like lavender and lion’s tail for splashes of color.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
Certain toilet paper, tissue and office paper brands are made with materials from eucalyptus trees, a non-native species to Portugal.
—Vasco Cotovio, CNN, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for non-native 
Iese Business School, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Invasive, non-native vines, like kudzu and oriental bittersweet, have given vining plants a bad reputation.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024
Many of the native plants are in their summer dormancy now, but the garden is still a quilt of greens in every shade, along with native roses and non-natives like lavender and lion’s tail for splashes of color.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
Certain toilet paper, tissue and office paper brands are made with materials from eucalyptus trees, a non-native species to Portugal.
—Vasco Cotovio, CNN, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for non-native
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'non-native.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near non-native
Cite this Entry
“Non-native.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-native. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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