pioneer

verb

pioneered; pioneering; pioneers

intransitive verb

: to act as a pioneer

pioneered in the development of airplanes

transitive verb

1

: to open or prepare for others to follow

also : settle

2

: to originate or take part in the development of

Synonyms of pioneer

• establish
• found
• initiate
• institute
• introduce
• launch
• create

Examples of pioneer in a Sentence

a painter who pioneered a new art form

The new method of cancer treatment was pioneered by an international team of researchers.

He helped pioneer a new route to the West.

He pioneered in the development of airplanes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Vanguard, which pioneered index mutual funds, says that about 30% of retirement account holders choose equity funds if they’re offered by plan sponsors, and most are indexed. —Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026

Goodbye shorts, hello trousers Morpho’s fundraise comes as crypto, which started as a libertarian industry pioneered by hoodie-wearing developers, is increasingly walking in lockstep with traditional financial institutions. —Ben Weiss, Fortune, 9 June 2026

Elon Musk is bringing his pioneering business style to the IPO world this week when his rocket and satellite maker SpaceX goes public, in ways that no other company has. —Manya Saini, USA Today, 8 June 2026

Experimentation with the Falcon 9 first stages led SpaceX to pioneer first-stage landings and reuse. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

derivative of pioneer entry 1

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for pioneer

• adhere
• ameer
• amir
• appear
• arrear
• astir
• austere
• career
• cashier
• cohere
• compere
• emir

Kids Definition

pioneer

1 of 2 noun

pi·​o·​neer ˌpī-ə-ˈni(ə)r 

1

: a person or group that explores new areas of thought or activity

pioneers of American medicine

2

: one of the first to settle in an area : colonist

pioneer adjective

pioneer

2 of 2 verb

1

: to act as a pioneer

2

: to open or prepare for others to follow

especially : settle entry 2 sense 2a

3

: to begin or take part in the development of something new