hunter-gatherer

noun

hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er ˈhən-tər-ˈga-t͟hər-ər 

: a member of a culture in which food is obtained by hunting, fishing, and foraging rather than by agriculture or animal husbandry

Examples of hunter-gatherer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Today’s fathers contribute more to childcare than even the most hands-on hunter-gatherer dad, because there’s simply less of a village to support shared care. — Darby Saxbe, Fortune, 21 June 2026

Plague swept through groups of hunter-gatherers in southeastern Siberia 5,500 years ago, leaving dozens dead in its wake—with DNA from Yersinia pestis bacteria still trapped inside their teeth. — ArsTechnica, 18 June 2026

The disease decimated not only crowded cities, but also small, nomadic hunter-gatherer groups. — ABC News, 17 June 2026

For our hunter-gatherer ancestors, getting enough of these critical nutrients was a daily life-and-death struggle. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hunter-gatherer

• gatherer

Kids Definition

hunter-gatherer

noun

hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er

-ˈgat͟h-ər-ər, 

-ˈget͟h-

: a member of a culture in which food is gotten by hunting, fishing, and gathering rather than by agriculture