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

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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 In the aftermath of the attack, the settlers camped out on our land and have remained there ever since, preventing us from accessing it. — Kamel Musallet, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026 Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faces a fight for political survival in elections in October after angering his fellow West Bank settlers by voting not to punish ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse to serve in the military. — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026 In February 2024, Levi became one of the first hardline settlers targeted by US executive sanctions under the Biden administration and was subsequently sanctioned by the UK, Canada and the European Union. — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 For decades Israeli Jewish settlers have been creating settlements there, taking more and more of the West Bank away from Palestinians. — Greg Dixon, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026 Afrikaner farmers are descended from Dutch and other European colonial settlers who first came to the country more than 300 years ago. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 As Jesuit missions and Spanish colonization took over the continent in the 16th century, mate was popularized across other countries and between settlers and natives alike to become the region’s largest export. — Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Her great-great-great-great grandfather, John Mozingo, was one of the first settlers in the county. — Sophie Lindberg july 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for settlers

Noun

Like much of the valley, Gilroy stands on land that was first occupied by the native Amah Mutsun, then taken over by Spanish colonists and later became Mexico.

— Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
The ancient route was first traveled by hunter-gatherers, before being used by Indigenous traders, Inca messengers, Spanish colonists, and railway workers, among others.

— Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026

Definition of colonists

Noun

In Salisbury, which has become a hub for Haitians who work in nearby factories and farms, ICE recently started detaining people in parking lots and other areas immigrants frequent, according to Fouché of Safe Harbor Circles.

— Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Temporary Protected Status was created to help immigrants escape dangerous conditions.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of immigrants

Noun

Hanging from the ceiling is a model of the Wright brothers’ first production airplane — the aviation pioneers were from nearby Dayton and an inspiration for Armstrong.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Nobu was one of the pioneers in promoting the concept of family sharing at dinner, and the menu encourages guests to do so.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of pioneers

Noun

The South African government is pushing for Africa-wide talks while seeking to manage the fallout over anti-immigration protests that have forced many migrants to leave the country and caused diplomatic tensions with some its African counterparts.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
On Monday, a plane with 147 Venezuelan migrants abroad took off from the Miami and landed in Anzoátegui state, CNNE reported.

— Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of migrants

Noun

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
González has witnessed the ties between Mexico and its emigrants abroad evolve over four decades, starting as a young consular officer in the administration of Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

— Alfredo Corchado, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026

Definition of emigrants

Noun

With no one to bring news from home, like many refugees, Reda has been keeping tabs on his property through satellite imagery.

— Ava Bambuck, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Starring young Douae Butarbuch M’Zaouki alongside Sayyid El Alami (Messiah, A Gentleman in Moscow) and others, the film follows 11-year-old Chaya and her family, refugees in the Landes region of France.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of refugees

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“Settlers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/settlers. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of settlers

noun

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