non-native
/ˌnɒn ˈneɪtɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌnɑːn ˈneɪtɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌnän-ˈnā-tiv/ (ame, mw)
non-native — adjective
1. describing a plant or animal whose home territory is somewhere else and which ha
describing a plant or animal whose home territory is somewhere else and which has been carried into the local area by people, weather, or trade.
The grey squirrel is a non-native species in Britain, brought over from North America in the 1800s.
non-native + species; specific origin
Yael learnt at school that the rabbit is non-native to Australia and has damaged local farms.
be non-native to + country
Park rangers spent the morning pulling non-native weeds from the river path.
Several non-native fish in the lake are eating the eggs of the local trout.
- introduced
more neutral; common in scientific writing about species
- alien
stronger; suggests the species is unwelcome or harmful
- invasive
narrower; only used when the species spreads and causes damage
- native
occurring naturally in that place
- indigenous
more formal; same idea as 'native'
文法句型
non-native + noun
be non-native to + place
用法筆記
Subject is usually a plant, animal, or species name; common in environmental and conservation contexts.
常見錯誤
2. describing a person whose birthplace is elsewhere, or whose first language is no
describing a person whose birthplace is elsewhere, or whose first language is not the one spoken in the place they now live.
Élise teaches French to non-native speakers at the language centre in Lyon.
non-native speaker + of [language] (implied)
As a non-native resident of Taipei, Pim still found the bus routes hard to follow.
non-native + person noun
The exam is designed for non-native learners of English at upper-intermediate level.
Maeve hires both native and non-native teachers because each group helps the students differently.
- foreign
wider; covers anyone from another country, not only language background
- second-language
narrower; only describes language learners and speakers
- native
born there or speaking it from childhood
- first-language
specific to language background only
文法句型
non-native speaker (of X)
non-native + person noun
用法筆記
Most often used with 'speaker' or with a person noun in academic and language-teaching contexts. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about plants and animals, not people.
常見錯誤
3. describing a person or thing that is not part of an indigenous community, especi
describing a person or thing that is not part of an indigenous community, especially in the Americas where 'native' refers to the original inhabitants before European arrival.
Many non-native visitors come to the reservation each year to learn about Lakota traditions.
non-native + person noun in indigenous context
Tariq's documentary explores how non-native businesses have shaped life on tribal lands.
non-native + organisation noun
Native and non-native scholars worked together to return the carved mask to the community.
Christopher writes a column about non-native settlers in nineteenth-century North America.
- non-indigenous
more formal; preferred in academic writing
- settler
narrower; usually refers to historical or descendant populations on indigenous land
- indigenous
belonging to the original people of a place
- Native
capitalised; refers specifically to Native American or First Nations identity
文法句型
non-native + noun
用法筆記
Confined to contexts about indigenous peoples (typically Native American or First Nations communities). Distinguish from sense 2 — sense 3 contrasts with an indigenous group, not with a language background.