1
as in colonists
a person who settles in a new region
settlers learning to live in peace with the natives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
Sibiu, Romania — A fusion of Romanian, German and Hungarian cultures, Sibiu’s architecture dates back to the Middle Ages and was built by German settlers.
—
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Potatoes arrived in Europe later that century and in North America about half a century after that, with European settlers (though researchers in Utah have found residue of a wild potato on a tool dating back more than 10,000 years).
—Tamar Adler, Vogue, 3 June 2026
Many of these settlers’ descendants still live in Fredericksburg.
—Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Troops, farmers, and fur traders set up shop in 1624, and the first 30 families of Dutch settlers arrived.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 June 2026
By the mid-1800s, Western settlers found success growing fruits and grains.
—Ligaya Malones, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026
So it was actually established as a more commercial venture, like the government sold land and then used the proceeds to help fund the immigration of free settlers.
—AFAR Media, 30 May 2026
Managed and feral honey bees also played critical roles in pollinating crops brought over by European settlers, including apple and cherry trees and clover, which provided food for livestock and their communities.
—Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
In a West Bank spring where Palestinians used to rest and water their flocks, Israeli settlers now swim.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 27 May 2026
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Potatoes arrived in Europe later that century and in North America about half a century after that, with European settlers (though researchers in Utah have found residue of a wild potato on a tool dating back more than 10,000 years).
—Tamar Adler, Vogue, 3 June 2026
Many of these settlers’ descendants still live in Fredericksburg.
—Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Troops, farmers, and fur traders set up shop in 1624, and the first 30 families of Dutch settlers arrived.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 June 2026
By the mid-1800s, Western settlers found success growing fruits and grains.
—Ligaya Malones, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026
So it was actually established as a more commercial venture, like the government sold land and then used the proceeds to help fund the immigration of free settlers.
—AFAR Media, 30 May 2026
Managed and feral honey bees also played critical roles in pollinating crops brought over by European settlers, including apple and cherry trees and clover, which provided food for livestock and their communities.
—Literary Hub, 27 May 2026
In a West Bank spring where Palestinians used to rest and water their flocks, Israeli settlers now swim.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for settlers
Noun
-
The American origin story is rooted in the notion that George III was its vanquished villain, an irrational tyrant who oppressed the American colonists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
Then, head next door to the Jamestown Settlement, also a living history museum, to view replicas of a 17th-century Indigenous village, James Fort, and the three ships the colonists sailed in from England.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
German and Czech immigrants who settled in Central Texas during the 1800s introduced meat-smoking and butcher shop traditions that later became foundational to what many now recognize as classic Texas barbecue, according to the Texas Historical Association.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Many billionaires, like Sergey Brin, are immigrants who came here with nothing.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The pizza joint tied with Sei, Tony’s in San Francisco, has long been ambitious as one of the American pioneers of the rising art of the pizza tasting menu.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
-
And Teladoc Health—one of telemedicine’s pioneers—has expanded beyond urgent care into chronic condition management.—
Dr. Peter Fotinos,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Under Johnson, a firm tied to him won a contract to feed migrants in 2024, and last year Rossi’s restaurant, Divan Chicago, hosted a fundraiser for Leaders for Tomorrow, a political action committee launched by Johnson ally Cornelius Griggs.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
-
Ghanaian authorities said the repatriation effort was being carried out in coordination with South African officials after concerns over the safety and well-being of migrants.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
After taking power in 1922, Benito Mussolini prioritized strengthening the national football system, recognizing its value in forging a unifying identity for a country that had existed only six decades and was losing as many as three hundred thousand emigrants a year.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
The Conestoga wagons, meant to replicate the vehicles used by emigrants on the Oregon Trail, are also luxurious.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Mews became the main sponsor of KLABU’s newest location in Boa Vista, Brazil, home to Latin America’s largest shelter for indigenous Venezuelan refugees.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
-
There have also been increasing reports of tensions between Congolese refugees and Ugandan host communities that require additional conflict-mitigation measures, including engagement with both communities and governments.—
Maryanne Murray Buechner,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Settlers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settlers. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
