denizen

noun

den·​i·​zen ˈde-nə-zən 

1

: inhabitant

denizens of the forest

2

government : a person admitted to residence in a foreign country

especially : an alien (see alien entry 2 sense 1b) admitted to rights of citizenship

3

: one that frequents a place

nightclub denizens

Synonyms

• familiar
• frequenter
• habitué
• habitue
• haunter
• rat
• regular

Examples of denizen in a Sentence

one of those muscle-bound denizens of the gym

the polar bear is an iconic denizen of the snowy Arctic

Recent Examples on the Web

The denizens of the village who worked at the mill also utilized their own form of currency, coins known as doogaloos, in local shops, allowing the community to be self-sufficient in many ways. —Moná Thomas, People.com, 13 Mar. 2025

The best ideas are the ones that emanate organically from the characters, like the stiff-legged dancing styles of the Scarecrow and the Tinman or the denizens of the Emerald City behaving like oblivious clubgoers at an all-night dance party. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2025

And with an even more dramatic sequel, Wicked: For Good, set to hit theaters on Nov. 21, the denizens of Oz could find themselves right back here again at this time next year. —Andy Swift, TVLine, 2 Mar. 2025

Suddenly, Kendrick, supported by OG rapper MC Eiht, is a denizen of this mad city rather than a victim. —Stephen Kearse, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English denizeine, from Anglo-French denisein, denzein inhabitant, inner part, inner, from denz within, from Late Latin deintus, from Latin de- + intus within — more at ent-

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

denizen

noun

den·​i·​zen ˈden-ə-zən 

: inhabitant

especially : a person, animal, or plant found in a particular region or environment