pi·o·neer
ˌpī-ə-ˈnir 
1
: a member of a military unit usually of construction engineers
2
a
: a person or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity or a new method or technical development
b
: one of the first to settle in a territory
3
: a plant or animal capable of establishing itself in a bare, barren, or open area and initiating an ecological cycle
pioneered; pioneering; pioneers
: to act as a pioneer
pioneered in the development of airplanes
1
: to open or prepare for others to follow
also
: settle
2
: to originate or take part in the development of
Synonyms
Examples of pioneer in a Sentence
Noun
the pioneers who settled in the American West in the 19th century
the hardships that the pioneers endured while taming the wilderness
Verb
a painter who pioneered a new art form
The new method of cancer treatment was pioneered by an international team of researchers.
He helped pioneer a new route to the West.
He pioneered in the development of airplanes.
Adjective
the nation's pioneer institution for the education of African-Americans
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
The Kentucky business is known as an industry pioneer in subrogation outsourcing for the healthcare industry.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 3 Apr. 2024
Along with the mentally challenging roles and responsibilities that come with working in the DE& I industry, CDOs must act as pioneers within their field to stay up-to-date with the ever-evolving societal changes that impact organizations.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Liron was an early investor in LendingClub, a peer-to-peer lending platform that established itself as a pioneer in unsecured loans.
—Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Across Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé honors pioneers — both celebrated and forgotten — within country music but also dips into rock, classical music, and opera.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
Founded by technology entrepreneur Don Katz in 1995, Audible is a pioneer in the world of on-the-go audio and streaming.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
The mission had already begun to go sideways when Dana Beal — a pioneer of New York’s marijuana legalization movement but someone who has never obtained a driver’s license — enlisted a ketamine enthusiast to chauffeur him across America.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
But back then, genetic genealogy was still new, and Moore was one of its pioneers.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2024
Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Founded in Los Angeles in 1982 by David Gold, 99 Cents Only pioneered the single-price retail concept.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Around this same time, the Egyptians pioneered the concept of a central government headed by the pharaoh, with smaller provinces known as nomes under the administration of local authorities.
—Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
That same decade, the flamboyant entertainer Liberace pioneered the concert residency at another Strip destination, Hotel Last Frontier.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024
Tesla pioneered mass-market electric cars, but its lineup is aging.
—Neal E. Boudette, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Credit the Swamp Princess for pioneering a new genre.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
While the United States has pioneered breakthroughs in A.I., most recently with the uncanny humanlike abilities of chatbots, a significant portion of that work was done by researchers educated in China.
—Cade Metz, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Biden’s visit shows high stakes of $20 billion Ohio chip factory
The United States pioneered semiconductor technology decades ago but since the 1990s has allowed its chip manufacturing to atrophy, even as China’s production soared, thanks to heavy subsidies.
—Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Noun
The early season forecast from Colorado State University — a key pioneer of preseason hurricane forecasting — calls for another above-average season.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
The Kentucky business is known as an industry pioneer in subrogation outsourcing for the healthcare industry.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 3 Apr. 2024
Along with the mentally challenging roles and responsibilities that come with working in the DE& I industry, CDOs must act as pioneers within their field to stay up-to-date with the ever-evolving societal changes that impact organizations.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
Liron was an early investor in LendingClub, a peer-to-peer lending platform that established itself as a pioneer in unsecured loans.
—Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Across Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé honors pioneers — both celebrated and forgotten — within country music but also dips into rock, classical music, and opera.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
Founded by technology entrepreneur Don Katz in 1995, Audible is a pioneer in the world of on-the-go audio and streaming.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
The mission had already begun to go sideways when Dana Beal — a pioneer of New York’s marijuana legalization movement but someone who has never obtained a driver’s license — enlisted a ketamine enthusiast to chauffeur him across America.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
But back then, genetic genealogy was still new, and Moore was one of its pioneers.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2024
Verb
Keith LeBlanc, a drummer, producer and recording artist best known for his work on pioneering early hip-hop records by Grandmaster Flash and others, died Thursday after a battle with an undisclosed illness, his wife Fran LeBlanc confirms to Variety.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Founded in Los Angeles in 1982 by David Gold, 99 Cents Only pioneered the single-price retail concept.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Around this same time, the Egyptians pioneered the concept of a central government headed by the pharaoh, with smaller provinces known as nomes under the administration of local authorities.
—Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
That same decade, the flamboyant entertainer Liberace pioneered the concert residency at another Strip destination, Hotel Last Frontier.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024
Tesla pioneered mass-market electric cars, but its lineup is aging.
—Neal E. Boudette, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Credit the Swamp Princess for pioneering a new genre.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
While the United States has pioneered breakthroughs in A.I., most recently with the uncanny humanlike abilities of chatbots, a significant portion of that work was done by researchers educated in China.
—Cade Metz, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Biden’s visit shows high stakes of $20 billion Ohio chip factory
The United States pioneered semiconductor technology decades ago but since the 1990s has allowed its chip manufacturing to atrophy, even as China’s production soared, thanks to heavy subsidies.
—Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pioneer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pioneer
Cite this Entry
“Pioneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pioneer. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pioneer
1 of 2 noun
pi·o·neer
ˌpī-ə-ˈni(ə)r
1
: a person or group that explores new areas of thought or activity
pioneers of American medicine
2
: one of the first to settle in an area : colonist
pioneer
adjective
pioneer
2 of 2 verb1
: to act as a pioneer
2
: to open or prepare for others to follow
especially
: settle entry 2 sense 2a
3
: to begin or take part in the development of something new
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