bushman

noun

bush·​man ˈbu̇sh-mən 

plural bushmen

1

Bushman sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below

a

: a member of any of the Indigenous and traditionally hunter-gatherer peoples of southern Africa who are considered the oldest inhabitants of the region : san sense 1

Several dozen Bushmen who had been expelled from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve have returned there under a landmark court ruling giving the traditional hunter-gatherers rights to land they and their ancestors occupied for thousands of years.

—Craig Timberg

In Southern Africa, there are perhaps 100,000 indigenous people commonly referred to as Bushmen or San—terms typically used by outsiders and, though sometimes considered demeaning, often by the people themselves.

—Barry Bearak

b

: san sense 2

2

a

: woodsman

b

chiefly Australia : a person who lives in the bush

Usage of Bushman

Bushman is sometimes avoided as potentially offensive, with San often being used instead. However, some of those to whom the word refers do not find the term offensive and even prefer it themselves. Bushman continues in widespread use, though caution in using it is recommended.

Examples of bushman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Phillips was a skilled bushman. —Todd Symons, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

bush entry 1 + man entry 1; in sense 1 after early Afrikaans bossieman, bossiesman, boschjesman, bosjesman

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

Bushman

noun

Bush·​man

ˈbu̇sh-mən

sometimes offensive

: a member of a group of peoples of southern Africa who traditionally live by hunting and foraging