as in indigenous
belonging to a particular place by birth or origin the fish is not an endemic species of the lake, and it is rapidly devouring the native trout population

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How is the word endemic distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of endemic are aboriginal, indigenous, and native. While all these words mean "belonging to a locality," endemic implies being peculiar to a region.

a disease endemic in Africa

When might aboriginal be a better fit than endemic?

The words aboriginal and endemic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, aboriginal implies having no known others preceding in occupancy of a particular region.

the aboriginal peoples of Australia

When would indigenous be a good substitute for endemic?

While in some cases nearly identical to endemic, 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 is it sensible to use native instead of endemic?

In some situations, the words native and endemic are roughly equivalent. However, native implies birth or origin in a place or region and may suggest compatibility with it.

native tribal customs

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of endemic Unsurprisingly, the environment supports many other animals as well—hundreds of endemic and migratory species, including 21 that are federally listed, among them the Lower Keys marsh rabbit, the silver rice rat, and the Miami blue butterfly. Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 16 Jan. 2025 In the visualizer for the song, Meléndez-Badillo writes about two amphibians endemic to Puerto Rico that are facing extinction. Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025 The rats targeted eggs and chicks, leading to the rapid extinction of several endemic species. Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025 In the last 25 years, the slice of pizza went from a workaday street snack more or less endemic to the five boroughs to an object of food-nerd fascination far beyond the city. Ed Levine, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for endemic 

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Cite this Entry

“Endemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/endemic. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

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