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

The stakes of climate chaos and potential solutions are enormous for humanity and all our co-denizens of Planet Earth. —New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025

Finding your tribe within the denizens of cosplayers, when that tribe is a minority group often not expected to engage in the activity, is especially heartwarming. —Nikki Birch, NPR, 31 Oct. 2025

Yet to be white and wealthy is to know an upper-crust Baltimore that never existed to the denizens of Greenmount Avenue. —Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025

Firearms are more common but denizens still fight with knives. —Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025

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