Synonyms of aboriginal

aboriginal 1 of 2

adjective

ˌa-bə-ˈrij-nəl 

as in indigenous

belonging to a particular place by birth or origin

the aboriginal peoples of northern Alaska are known as Inupiats, which in their language literally means "real people"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• indigenous
• native
• local
• endemic
• autochthonous
• domestic
• born
• regional
• original

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• introduced
• foreign
• nonindigenous
• alien
• nonnative
• exotic
• strange
• immigrant
• expatriate
• transplanted
• imported

aboriginal

2 of 2

noun

as in aborigine

a member of the first people to inhabit a region

they still speak the language of the region's aboriginals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aborigine
• native
• indigene
• indigen
• autochthon

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• alien
• foreigner
• nonnative

Synonym Chooser

How is the word aboriginal distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of aboriginal are endemic, indigenous, and native. While all these words mean "belonging to a locality," aboriginal implies having no known others preceding in occupancy of a particular region.

the aboriginal peoples of Australia

When is it sensible to use endemic instead of aboriginal?

Although the words endemic and aboriginal have much in common, endemic implies being peculiar to a region.

a disease endemic in Africa

Where would indigenous be a reasonable alternative to aboriginal?

The synonyms indigenous and aboriginal are sometimes interchangeable, but indigenous applies to that which is not only native but which, as far as can be determined, has never been introduced or brought from elsewhere.

indigenous plants

When would native be a good substitute for aboriginal?

While in some cases nearly identical to aboriginal, native implies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it.

native tribal customs

Examples of aboriginal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Indeed, even communities lying outside the fold of Brahminical Hinduism, such as India’s more than 75 million Adivasis—people who belong to the country’s aboriginal groups—have begun to support the BJP in large numbers over the past three decades. —Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2022

Eric is an indigenous rights researcher Eric is a researcher on aboriginal land claims, per The New York Times. —Ilana Frost, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024

Noun

Pay up, and the British Navy will keep the Frenchmen, pirates, and aboriginals away. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 15 May 2017