pioneer

1 of 3

noun

pi·​o·​neer ˌpī-ə-ˈnir How to pronounce pioneer (audio)
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

pioneer

2 of 3

verb

pioneered; pioneering; pioneers

intransitive verb

: to act as a pioneer
pioneered in the development of airplanes

transitive verb

1
: to open or prepare for others to follow
also : settle
2
: to originate or take part in the development of

pioneer

3 of 3

adjective

1
2
: relating to or being a pioneer
especially : of, relating to, or characteristic of early settlers or their time

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
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.
Noun
The early pioneer in self-driving technology, Waymo has managed to beat Elon Musk-led Tesla and a myriad of now-defunct autonomous vehicle startups to the U.S. market. Lora Kolodny,jennifer Elias, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025 All this is to say that the longest in the world may have actually taken place in the woods, where more skiers than ever are now skimming the backcountry meltwater all spring long—just like the Slush Cup pioneers, Cyril Paris and Cliff White. Anna Fiorentino, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
The two surgeons who founded it had pioneered techniques that used a woman’s own body tissue to form new breasts post mastectomy. T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 12 Apr. 2025 In Weekend 2 Take epigenetic reprogramming, a field pioneered by Harvard scientists, which aims to restore youthful function to aging cells. Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
In tandem with the modernist movement of the 20th century was the Danish concept of functionalism; a design philosophy of form follows function, which was introduced by pioneer Danish architects like Poul Henningsen and Vilhelm Lauritzen. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for pioneer

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French pionnier "worker employed on field fortifications who accompanies an army," going back to Old French peonier, pionier "foot soldier, laborer tasked with excavation," from peon, pion "foot soldier" + -ier -eer — more at pawn entry 1

Verb

derivative of pioneer entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of pioneer entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1780, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pioneer was in 1523

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pioneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pioneer. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

pioneer

1 of 2 noun
pi·​o·​neer ˌpī-ə-ˈni(ə)r How to pronounce pioneer (audio)
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 verb
1
: to act as a pioneer
2
: to open or prepare for others to follow
3
: to begin or take part in the development of something new

More from Merriam-Webster on pioneer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!