settler

noun

set·​tler ˈse-tᵊl-ər 

ˈset-lər

1

: one that settles something

a settler of disputes

2

: someone who settles in a new region or colony

the first settlers of New England

Synonyms

• pioneer
• colonist

Examples of settler in a Sentence

settlers learning to live in peace with the natives

in 1889 Jane Addams, in an effort to provide Chicago's latest wave of settlers with much-needed services, founded the city's first settlement house

Recent Examples on the Web

There had been previous attempts to tell his story, or at least his part in the story of Western settlers in Africa. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025

Which is how the trees came to Virginia and Tennessee with British settlers. —Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025

Indigenous Peoples’ Day refuses the inevitability of a settler future and insists instead on ReMatriation, survivance, and justice. —JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025

Recipes for pumpkin bread date back to the 1830s and experts trace its roots to early American settlers who adapted European spice breads and puddings using the gourd popular among Native American tribes. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing settler

• settler colonial
• settler colonialism
• settler-colonialist
• settler colony

Kids Definition

settler

noun

set·​tler ˈset-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

: a person who settles in a new region : colonist