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

Politician Neville Chamberlain lived at number 37 in the 1920s and 1930s, before becoming prime minister; James Bond is its most famous fictional denizen, and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was a more recent celebrity resident. —Emma O'Kelly, Architectural Digest, 17 Dec. 2025

For his 1982 book Bad Weather, Parr, often using an underwater camera, captured denizens of northern England and Ireland’s West Coast battling rain and snow. —News Desk, Artforum, 15 Dec. 2025

For centuries a farming community (100 years ago, there were seven different dairy farms) its denizens have fought to preserve its pastoral character—no small task when faced with the pressures of developers. —Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025

Hopefully the fuzzy denizens of Zootopia didn’t get too comfortable at the top, because the horror sequel Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 made their stay very short. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 9 Dec. 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