aborigines

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noun

The original people of a location; originally used of ancient Greek and Roman peoples.

OriginLatin aborīginēs ← ['la aborīginēs →
Less commonFirst used First attested in the mid 16ᵗʰ century.Scrabble 13
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Meanings

aborigines1

noun
  1. pluralplural of aborigine
nounaborigines pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyThe original people of a location; originally used of ancient Greek and Roman peoples.First known use First attested in the mid 16ᵗʰ century.
    1 more example

    There seems little doubt that the aborigines of Banda were Papuans, and a portion of them still exists in the Ke islands, where they emigrated when the Portuguese first took possession of their native island. It is such people as these that are often looked upon as transitional forms between two very distinct races, like the Malays and Papuans, whereas they are only examples of intermixture.

    1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume I, London: Macmillan and Co., page 456
  2. pluralplural onlyIndigenous flora and fauna.First known use First attested in the late 17ᵗʰ century.
  3. pluralplural onlyhistoryThe inhabitants of a location before colonization by the Europeans occurred.First known use First attested in the early 18ᵗʰ century.

Aborigines2

proper nounthe Aborigines pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyOriginal inhabitants, natives.
  2. Romanpluralplural onlyhuman sciencesThe earliest inhabitants of central Italy, from whom the Latins were said to have descended.
  3. pluralplural onlyThe native peoples of various regions, especially the Australian Aboriginal peoples, but also the original inhabitants of Canada and Argentina. Often considered offensive.

    AO Neville, the Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia until the 1930s, railed against the risk of the creation of a ‘third race’ of half-castes.

    2021 November 7, Claire [G.] Coleman, “Not quite blak enough: ‘The people who think I am too white to be Aboriginal are all white’”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 03 Dec 2021
noun
  1. pluralplural of Aborigine

Origin

aborigines · noun, noun

  1. ['laaborīginēs
  2. Latinaborīginēs
  3. Englishaborigines

Learned borrowing from Latin aborīginēs.

More words from Latin, ['la

Full word history & related roots →

Aborigines · proper noun, noun

  1. Latinaborīginēs
  2. EnglishAborigines

Learned borrowing from Latin aborīginēs, which see for more.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Greek Αβορίγινες
  • Αβορίγινες (Avorígines)the Australian Aborigine peoples
Norwegian Bokmål aborigin, aboriginer
  • aboriginthe Australian Aborigine peoples
  • aboriginerthe Australian Aborigine peoples
Portuguese aborígines
  • aboríginesthe earliest inhabitants of central Italy
Russian абориге́ны
  • абориге́ны (aborigény)the Australian Aborigine peoples
Turkish Aborjinler
  • Aborjinlerthe Australian Aborigine peoples
Cite this entry
APA

aborigines. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aborigines

MLA

“aborigines.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aborigines. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aborigines,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aborigines.

Source: aborigines on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.