settler

noun

set·​tler ˈse-tᵊl-ər How to pronounce settler (audio)
ˈset-lər
Synonyms of settlernext
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 of settler

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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
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Marschall’s initial assessment was that the tree’s life probably began before European settlers arrived in the region, at a time when the mountain was populated by autonomous Indigenous nations that later became part of the Creek Confederacy. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile over 100 Palestinian communities have been displaced or erased by the settler violence and the ever-encroaching sheep. — Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for settler

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of settler was in 1598

Phrases Containing settler

Browse Nearby Words

settle on/upon (something)
settler
settler's-clock
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Cite this Entry

“Settler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/settler. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

settler

noun
set·​tler ˈset-lər How to pronounce settler (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
: a person who settles in a new region : colonist
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