hunter-gatherer

noun

hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er ˈhən-tər-ˈga-t͟hər-ər 

: a member of a culture in which food is obtained by hunting, fishing, and foraging rather than by agriculture or animal husbandry

Examples of hunter-gatherer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For hunter-gatherers, especially those who relied heavily on meat, animal fats were a vital energy source. —Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 12 July 2025

Archaeologists suspect the carcasses were intentionally processed to extract the marrow and grease trapped inside their bones, which would have provided important nutrients to hunter-gatherers. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025

But a handful of the other large digging sticks don’t look like anything archaeologists have seen at other Paleolithic sites, or in the hands of modern hunter-gatherers. —ArsTechnica, 7 July 2025

The substance was even more essential for hunter-gatherers, such as Neanderthals, who likely depended heavily on animal foods. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 4 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hunter-gatherer

• gatherer

Kids Definition

hunter-gatherer

noun

hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er

-ˈgat͟h-ər-ər,

-ˈget͟h-

: a member of a culture in which food is gotten by hunting, fishing, and gathering rather than by agriculture