hunter-gatherers

Definition of hunter-gatherersnext
plural of hunter-gatherer
as in hunters
a member of a culture in which people hunt animals and look for plants to eat instead of growing crops and raising animals a tribe of hunter-gatherers

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hunter-gatherers But the heart of the film is a lengthy stretch in Namibia, where, from within a community of San hunter-gatherers, Boyes enlists three trackers to accompany him on the long, difficult trek to Angola. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026 For those who thought that hunter-gatherers were lost to the pages of history, think again. Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026 By analyzing the bones and pyre sediments, researchers believe that hunter-gatherers cremated the body of a woman about 9,500 years ago, according to their study published Thursday in the journal Science Advances. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026 The authors of the new, groundbreaking study noted that the discovery changed their perspective on these early hunter-gatherers in Africa, as a group that demonstrated cohesion, as the site appeared to hold significance as a permanent location where individuals were laid to rest. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026 Here was a human elbow joint, burned and fractured, preserved in sediments full of debris from the daily lives of Stone Age hunter-gatherers. Elizabeth Sawchuk, The Conversation, 1 Jan. 2026 In the sixth episode, Smith and San Bushman guide Kane Motswana go hunting with members of a San village, Indigenous hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa, who live in the Kalahari Desert. Abigail Wise, Outside, 11 Dec. 2025 Either way, these ancient humans were skilled foragers and hunter-gatherers who lived in small groups of perhaps a dozen people and only rarely crossed paths with other bands. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 10 Dec. 2025 By their own accounts, hunter-gatherers like the Hadza mostly sleep like a dream. Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunter-gatherers
Noun
  • Benson said the plaintiffs, which include hunters and gun owner groups, believe completely removing the deer is not a necessary goal.
    Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Combine slim affordability with huge economic uncertainty, and the bottom line is that stunningly few house hunters are buying.
    Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Even though trapping itself isn’t painful to the animal, some anti-trappers and hunters are uncomfortable with the idea of an animal being captive, or experiencing fear when the trapper arrives to check the trap.
    Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hunter-gatherers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunter-gatherers. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.

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