denizen

noun

den·​i·​zen ˈde-nə-zən 

plural denizens

1

: inhabitant

denizens of the forest

2

government : a person allowed residence in a foreign country

3

: someone who frequents a place

nightclub denizens

—often used figuratively

… daylilies, purple loosestrife, and other roadside denizens now firmly rooted in Maine …

—Rebecca Sawyer-Fay

Synonyms of denizen

• lover
• fan
• familiar
• patron
• rat
• habitué
• guest
• frequenter

Examples of denizen in a Sentence

one of those muscle-bound denizens of the gym

the polar bear is an iconic denizen of the snowy Arctic

Recent Examples on the Web

Under this nomenclature, Fredonia would be the poetic and literary term, and denizens of the nation would be called Fredonians, or more colloquially, Fredes. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Hickey is the charismatic traveling salesman who preaches a distorted vision of salvation to the social misfits and leftist radicals in a dive bar in lower Manhattan, modeled on the denizens of a favorite O’Neill hangout. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026

Like the resourceful denizens of China’s rotten-tail buildings, the most successful leaders will be the ones who take their fate into their own hands instead of waiting for a new set of rules to rescue them. — Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

In a primary field that looks to be crowded by denizens of the party’s left, a credible moderate could win the nomination and, if current polling is accurate, easily defeat a MAGA GOP candidate. — Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English denizeine, from Anglo-French denisein, denzein inhabitant, inner part, inner, from denz within, from Late Latin deintus, from Latin de- + intus within — more at ent-

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

denizen

noun

den·​i·​zen ˈden-ə-zən 

: inhabitant

especially : a person, animal, or plant found in a particular region or environment