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 of settler

• 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

Saeed Muhammad Ibrahim Rabah told The Associated Press that two settlers arrived with a tractor at his home in Khirbet al-Rakeez in the southern West Bank on Saturday afternoon. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Israel's military has deployed dozens of troops to the area and has since pushed the settlers back from the homes. — Reuters, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

When Abdeen was born, in 1940, one of the original settlers was still alive. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

This involves regularly visiting and even staying overnight in Palestinian villages or homes as a way to deter settler attacks. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026

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