settler

noun

set·​tler ˈse-tᵊl-ər 

ˈset-lər

1

: one that settles something

a settler of disputes

2

: someone who settles in a new region or colony

the first settlers of New England

Synonyms of settler

• pioneer
• colonist

Examples of settler in a Sentence

settlers learning to live in peace with the natives

in 1889 Jane Addams, in an effort to provide Chicago's latest wave of settlers with much-needed services, founded the city's first settlement house

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, these centrists would sanction violent settlers, as the Biden administration did, but may not target the banks that finance the construction of new settlements. — Thomas Wright, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026

Wolves, on the other hand, had a thriving population after European settlers moved into the area in the 1600s but then seemed to disappear 250 years ago. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026

Al-Mughayyir is one of the West Bank’s flash points, the site of fatal flare-ups between settlers and Palestinians and lethal military raids. — Suheir Hashimeh, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026

Long history Netanyahu’s coalition has overseen Israel’s devastating three-year war in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands, and a yearslong campaign of settler violence in the occupied West Bank. — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing settler

• settler colonial
• settler colonialism
• settler-colonialist
• settler colony

Kids Definition

settler

noun

set·​tler ˈset-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

: a person who settles in a new region : colonist