Phrase guide

native language

noun · 3 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.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One's first language, learned in early childhood.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mother language, mother tongue, native tongue

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The language of a Native or Aboriginal people.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the language that a person has spoken from earliest childhood

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: language, linguistic communication

History

Etymology

From native + language.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: domorodý jazyk — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Danish: indfødt sprog — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Dutch: inheemse taal — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Kazakh: байырғы тіл (baiyrğy tıl) — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Macedonian: доморо́ден ја́зик (domoróden jázik) — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Portuguese: língua indígena — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Telugu: స్థానిక భాష (sthānika bhāṣa) — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Vietnamese: ngôn ngữ mẹ đẻ — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Vietnamese: tiếng mẹ đẻ — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Vietnamese: ngôn ngữ bản địa — language of a Native or Aboriginal people
  • Vietnamese: ngôn ngữ bản xứ — language of a Native or Aboriginal people