Standard Lemma guide

autochthonous

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɔːˈtɒkθənəs/
  • US: /ɔˈtɑkθənəs/
  • cot-caught-merger: /ɑˈtɑkθənəs/
  • US: cot-caught Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Native to the place where found; indigenous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Originating where found; found where it originates.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Buried in place, especially of a fossil preserved in its life position without disturbance or disarticulation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

of rocks, deposits, etc.; found where they and their constituents were formed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: allochthonous

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

originating where it is found

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the autochthonal fauna of Australia includes the kangaroo
  • autochthonous rocks and people and folktales
  • endemic folkways
  • the Ainu are indigenous to the northernmost islands of Japan

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: autochthonal, autochthonic, endemic, indigenous

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Literally, “native to the soil”; from autochthon + -ous.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: autokton — native to the place where found
  • Albanian: autoktone — native to the place where found
  • Bulgarian: автохто́нен (avtohtónen) — native to the place where found
  • Catalan: autòcton — native to the place where found
  • Chinese Mandarin: 土生的 (tǔshēng de) — native to the place where found
  • Chinese Mandarin: 本土的 (běntǔ de) — native to the place where found
  • Czech: autochtonní — native to the place where found
  • Dutch: autochtoon — native to the place where found
  • Esperanto: indiĝena — native to the place where found
  • Esperanto: aŭtoĥtona — native to the place where found
  • Esperanto: aŭtoktona — native to the place where found
  • Finnish: kotoperäinen — native to the place where found
  • Finnish: autoktoninen — native to the place where found
  • French: autochtone — native to the place where found
  • Galician: autóctono — native to the place where found
  • Georgian: ავტოქტონური (avṭokṭonuri) — native to the place where found
  • Georgian: ადგილობრივი (adgilobrivi) — native to the place where found
  • German: autochthon — native to the place where found
  • Greek: αυτόχθονας (aftóchthonas) — native to the place where found
  • Irish: uatheascarthach — native to the place where found
  • Italian: autoctono — native to the place where found
  • Kazakh: автохтондық (avtoxtondyq) — native to the place where found
  • Polish: autochtoniczny — native to the place where found
  • Polish: autochtoński — native to the place where found
  • Portuguese: autóctone — native to the place where found
  • Romanian: autohton — native to the place where found
  • Russian: коренно́й (korennój) — native to the place where found
  • Russian: автохто́нный (avtoxtónnyj) — native to the place where found
  • Russian: аутохто́нный (autoxtónnyj) — native to the place where found
  • Russian: ме́стный (méstnyj) — native to the place where found
  • Serbo-Croatian: autòhton — native to the place where found
  • Spanish: autóctono — native to the place where found
  • Swedish: autokton — native to the place where found
  • Swedish: ursprunglig — native to the place where found
  • Swedish: infödd — native to the place where found
  • Turkish: asil yerli — native to the place where found
  • Ukrainian: автохто́нний (avtoxtónnyj) — native to the place where found
  • Bulgarian: автохто́нен (avtohtónen) — biology, medicine: originating where found
  • Chinese Mandarin: 原位的 (yuánwèi de) — biology, medicine: originating where found
  • Finnish: autoktoninen — biology, medicine: originating where found
  • Georgian: ავტოქტონური (avṭokṭonuri) — biology, medicine: originating where found
  • Irish: uatheascarthach — biology, medicine: originating where found
  • Polish: autochtoniczny — biology, medicine: originating where found
  • Portuguese: autóctone — biology, medicine: originating where found
  • Russian: автохто́нный (avtoxtónnyj) — biology, medicine: originating where found
  • Bulgarian: автохто́нен (avtohtónen) — geology: formed or buried where found
  • Chinese Mandarin: 原地埋藏的 (yuándì máicáng de) — geology: formed or buried where found
  • Finnish: autoktoninen — geology: formed or buried where found
  • Georgian: ავტოქტონური (avṭokṭonuri) — geology: formed or buried where found
  • Irish: díleasach — geology: formed or buried where found
  • Polish: autochtoniczny — geology: formed or buried where found
  • Portuguese: autóctone — geology: formed or buried where found
  • Russian: автохто́нный (avtoxtónnyj) — geology: formed or buried where found
Real reading context

autochthonous in complete knowledge articles