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Definition of indigenous adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

indigenous

adjective
 
 
/ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/
 
/ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/
(formal)
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  1.  
    (also Indigenous)
    (of people and their culture) coming from a particular place and having lived there for a long time before other people came there; relating to, belonging to or developed by these people synonym native
    • the indigenous peoples/languages of an area
    • Indigenous Australians/Canadians
    • indigenous land/territory
    • She campaigns for indigenous rights.
    In Canada, the term Indigenous can be used to describe a member of any of the original peoples living in what is now Canada, including the First Nations, Inuit and Metis people. In Australia, Indigenous can be used to describe Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders: She was Canada's first Indigenous governor general. • Indigenous Australians comprise hundreds of groups that have their own distinct set of languages and traditions.
    Extra Examples
    • Guatemala has one of the highest percentages of indigenous peoples of any country in the Americas.
    • examples of truly indigenous music
    • Antarctica has no indigenous human population.
    • Several indigenous African languages are used in the country.
    Topics People in societyc1
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryIndigenous is used with these nouns:
    • community
    • culture
    • inhabitant
    • …
    See full entry
  2.  
    indigenous (to…) (of plants and animals) having originally developed in a particular place, rather than having been brought there from somewhere else
    • The kangaroo is indigenous to Australia.
    • The reserve supports a wide range of indigenous species.
    Topics Animalsc1
    3. Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin indigena ‘a native’ + -ous.
See indigenous in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee indigenous in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: indigenous

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