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

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

Synonyms

• alien
• foreign

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

The introduction of non-native predators to the islands, such as rodents, cats and pigs, has decimated countless avian populations. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025

Some may argue that resources spent on non-native species could be better allocated elsewhere. —Samantha Dee, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025

By introducing yet another non-native predator, the island’s ecosystem was further disrupted, compounding the devastation wrought by the rats. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

The iguana drop-off occurs when temperatures reach a critical point for the non-native species. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above