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

Dozens of Israeli settlers launched an arson attack on an agricultural area in the occupied West Bank Tuesday evening, according to Palestinian activists in the area, marking the latest such attack in what has been a surge of settler violence. —Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025

Long before European settlers arrived, wild turkeys roamed North America and served as an important food source for Native Americans. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025

The Supreme Court has, of course, also done much to help the settlers. —Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025

Solar storms and background cosmic radiation could pose significant risks to settlers, and lessons from this mission could help NASA protect human crews who may eventually spend time there. —Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 8 Nov. 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