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

Scott Adams, who kept cubicle denizens laughing for more than three decades with Dilbert, the bitingly funny comic strip that poked fun at the absurdity of corporate life, before racist remarks got him pink-slipped, died Tuesday. —Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026

Even its most powerful denizens drove beat-up Volvos; its dandies shopped at Brooks Brothers. —Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026

The Venezuelan president and his wife join Luigi Mangione, who faces state and federal charges in the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as current denizens of the notorious jail. —Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 6 Jan. 2026

And all the while, digital denizens on both sides of the Atlantic are left to wonder if, and how, the international internet can be regulated at all. —Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 29 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