SETTLERS Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

settlers

noun

plural of settler

as in colonists

a person who settles in a new region settlers learning to live in peace with the natives

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in immigrants

one that leaves one place to settle in another 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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 settlers Afrikaners are descended from mainly Dutch and French colonial settlers who first came to South Africa in the 17th century. — CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 Festival-goers will find more than dozens of booths, including a large children’s area, a historical exhibit documenting local Hispanic settlers, and a fine art exhibit. — Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 15 Sep. 2026 Some leaders in Netanyahu’s Cabinet began calling for Gaza to be reopened to settlers. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 The soldiers and settlers can be relied upon to stifle joy, waiting at the olive harvests, along the coasts, and at checkpoints where women are forced to give birth on the sides of the road. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 But nearly two centuries ago, European settlers started fracturing this relationship. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 But that requires massive energy — something early settlers will severely lack. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026 More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities, a figure that includes those killed by Israeli settlers, while dozens of Israelis have also been killed. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026 The ambassador last month spoke out sharply after weeks of unrest in the town of Qusra, where settlers surrounded several homes including one owned by a Palestinian American. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for settlers

Noun

Japan regained sovereignty over the island in the 1970s, but the American military still has a heavy presence there, continuing tensions between locals and the armed colonists surrounding them.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
In his telling, the Lenape agreed to sell Dutch colonists only as much land on Manhattan as could be covered by a man’s breeches.

— Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of colonists

Noun

For immigrants without legal status, release is often framed as a victory.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Founded in 1859, Kimmswick was once a bustling river port and a popular steamboat stop, and was also home to immigrants, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, and merchants.

— Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of immigrants

Noun

After all, modern hikers and campers have access to tools the pioneers could never have imagined.

— Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
The marker is the first in Miami-Dade County from the Florida Civil Rights Museum as part of its heritage trail honoring Black pioneers throughout Florida.

— Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of pioneers

Noun

For that sequence, the production recruited migrants through associations in Alicante to work as background actors.

— Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Although a majority of migrants have voluntarily returned to Morocco, hundreds of children like Ismael are still living on the streets.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of migrants

Noun

Baksheng leaves behind a family and then creates a new one with other Teochew emigrants at an inn run by a feminist daughter, Zia Lamgi (Li Sitong) who dodges a revolving door of suitors.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026
The decision could have broad implications for descendants of Italian emigrants, particularly in North and South America, where large Italian diaspora communities have ancestral ties to Italy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of emigrants

Noun

No God But Us is very much a book about Afghan refugees who are trying to forge a future amidst great displacement.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
The charity offers horsemanship and outdoor activities for military veterans suffering from life-changing injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), young people in the local community and refugees.

— Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of refugees

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“Settlers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settlers. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of settlers

noun

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