native american
native american — noun
1. someone belonging to one of the original peoples of the Americas, especially wit
someone belonging to one of the original peoples of the Americas, especially within communities now based in the United States
Iris is a Native American from the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
be a Native American from + community/place
Many Native Americans in Minneapolis voted early in the state election.
plural noun: Native Americans
The museum asked Christopher, a Native American artist, to open the exhibition.
Amani interviewed several Native Americans about changes to life on the reservation.
- Indigenous American
more formal and wider in scope; often used in academic or political discussion
- American Indian
older term that remains official in some institutions, but many speakers now prefer Native American or a specific nation name
- non-Native
used when contrasting indigenous and non-indigenous people in the same US context
文法句型
be a Native American
Native American(s) from + place/community
用法筆記
Usually written with capital letters. In current US English, it works as a respectful broad term, but many people prefer a more specific nation name such as Navajo, Cherokee, or Lakota when that information is known.
常見錯誤
native american — adjective
1. connected with Native American people, their communities, or the traditions they
connected with Native American people, their communities, or the traditions they maintain
The school added a Native American studies course for second-year students.
collocation: Native American studies
Élise bought Native American pottery at the market near Santa Fe.
collocation: Native American pottery
The town invited Native American dancers to open the summer festival.
Hiro wrote his paper on Native American land rights in Oklahoma.
- indigenous
broader and more formal; not limited to the United States
- tribal
narrower and less precise; describes tribe-related structures rather than this specific US ethnic identity
- non-Native
used in contrast with Native American communities and institutions
文法句型
Native American + noun
用法筆記
Most often placed before a noun, especially in references to history, art, land, law, and community life. Use the noun sense when you mean the people themselves, not the cultural topic.