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

Burbank’s environmental determinism was tangled with a settler-colonial impulse to imbue the wild landscape with Western ideals of control and organization to not only manage but also improve populations, in both plants and humans. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2026

Lion’s Nook Paying tribute to Lion Gardiner, one of East Hampton’s earliest English settlers, Alex Rossi — founder of Springs Tavern and Grill — has opened an English pub with some Springs Tavern favorites, like its classic burger. — Nancy Kane, Curbed, 25 June 2026

Goldman has consistently criticized Israel’s government and condemned settler violence but has stopped short of describing the conflict as a genocide, which Lander has done. — Steve Peoples, Fortune, 24 June 2026

The disagreement reflected broader frustrations among many frontier settlers. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 June 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