settler

noun

set·​tler ˈse-tᵊl-ər 

ˈset-lər

1

: one that settles something

a settler of disputes

2

: someone who settles in a new region or colony

the first settlers of New England

Synonyms

• colonial
• colonist
• colonizer
• frontiersman
• homesteader
• pioneer

Examples of settler in a Sentence

settlers learning to live in peace with the natives

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

Recent Examples on the Web

There was a spike of attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians, killing dozens. —Mick Krever, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025

The escalation comes as Secretary-General voiced alarm over rising violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. —Amir Daftari, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025

Moore’s story is one that fits in with those early Black settlers in Canada. —Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025

Anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now said in a news release Sunday that Israel had issued a tender for the construction of nearly 1,000 additional settler housing units that could significantly expand the population of the Efrat settlement in the territory. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 17 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing settler

• settler colonial
• settler colonialism
• settler-colonialist
• settler colony

Kids Definition

settler

noun

set·​tler ˈset-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

: a person who settles in a new region : colonist