Native

The term "native" can have many different social and political connotations, in different contexts. In some cases it is a neutral, descriptive term - as in stating that one is a native of a particular city or that a certain language is one's native language. However, in the context of colonialism - in particular, British colonialism - the term "natives", as applied to the inhabitants of colonies, assumed a disparaging and patronising sense, implying that the people concerned were incapable of taking care of themselves and in need of Europeans to administer their lives; therefore, these people resent the use of the term and consider it insulting, and at present Europeans usually avoid using it. Conversely, the original inhabitants of America - who during the process of being conquered and dispossessed were usually not called "natives" but "Indians" or "Red Indians" - have adopted at their own initiative the appellation "Native Americans", and bear it with pride. And in the context of Nativism, in some periods a potent political force, "natives" are defined as a (predominantly white) group deserving of a special privileged position in comparison to immigrants.

"Native" may also refer to:

A concept pertaining to computer software
Native (band), a contemporary French R&B band
Native metal
Native (comics), a character in the X-Men comics universe

Nationality and language

Native language and Native speaker (as opposed to foreign language and non-Native speaker)
Native born (as opposed to foreign born)

Ecology

Biomass
Biomass (ecology)
Bioproduct
Native plant
Permaforestry
Wildcrafting

Computing

In computing, software has a native mode when it is written for a specific processor (see native on Wiktionary).
In computing, software has a native support when it is written for a specific Operating System

Translation

The word "Native" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Simple English.

Translation(s) in other languages: French: Natif, Japanese: ネイティブ.