Definition of ABORIGINAL

: being the first or earliest known of its kind present in a region

: of or relating to the people who have been in a region from the earliest time : of or relating to aborigines

specifically, often capitalized : of or relating to the indigenous peoples of Australia

a disease endemic in Africa

the aboriginal peoples of Australia

Adjective

the aboriginal peoples of Australia the aboriginal peoples of northern Alaska are known as Inupiats, which in their language literally means “real people” Noun

they still speak the language of the region's aboriginals

Recent Examples on the Web

The evolutionary anthropologist Joseph Henrich has summoned the example of the aboriginal Tasmanians, who were cut off from mainland Australia about ten thousand years ago. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 Before the colonization of Australia, many aboriginal people buried dingoes with rites indistinguishable from those used for humans. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024

Those clauses were removed in the 1960s, leaving no mention of aboriginals at all. —The Economist, 5 July 2018 These people are too far away to show a direct link between them and the Clovis in such a way that indicates the Clovis being the aboriginals of South America. —Adam Rutherford, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2017 See All Example Sentences for aboriginal

Etymology

Adjective

aborigine + -al entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of aboriginal entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of aboriginal was in 1650