Native American

noun

: a member of any of the indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere
especially : a Native American of North America and especially the U.S. compare american indian
Native American adjective

Examples of Native American in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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National Park Service Director Chuck Sams made history on day one in office in 2021, by becoming the first Native American to lead NPS. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025 Haaland, who made history as the first Native American Cabinet secretary, defended the Biden administration's broader record on energy and conservation in the Newsweek interview, held in her final days in office before Trump is sworn in Monday. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025 The company also gave itself a five-year target of increasing the number of underrepresented employees, including women, and in the U.S., those who identify as Black, Hispanic and Native American, as well as veterans or those with disabilities. Emily Peck, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025 Biden was joined at Tuesday’s signing event by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for Native American 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Native American was circa 1628

Dictionary Entries Near Native American

Cite this Entry

“Native American.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Native%20American. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

Native American

noun
: a member of any of the Indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere
especially : a Native American of North America and especially the U.S. compare american indian
Native American adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Native American

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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