Phrase guide

digital native

noun · 1 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who has grown up in an environment replete with digital interactions and ways of communicating, thought to increase difficulty with traditional nondigital teaching methods, work practices, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, human-sciences, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology, technology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: digital immigrant, non-digital native

History

Etymology

Coined by education consultant Marc Prensky in 2001.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: diginatiivi — person
  • French: digital native — person
  • Russian: цифровой абориген (cifrovoj aborigen) — person