Settler

/ˈsɛt.lɚ/ noun, slang

noun, slang ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Someone who settles in a new location, especially one who takes up residence in a previously uninhabited place; a colonist.
  • Grammar: settler is listed as noun, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: colonist, almoner, almsgiver, angel.
  • Useful contrasts: indigenous, itinerant, aboriginal.
  • Usage evidence: You cannot create a settler state without the elimination of the natives.

How to use "settler"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "settler" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "settler" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "settler" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "settler" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "settler" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "colonist" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "settler", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Someone who settles in a new location, especially one who takes up residence in a previously uninhabited place; a colonist.

    "the first settlers of New England"

  2. 2
    a person who settles in a new colony or moves into new country wordnet
  3. 3
    Someone who decides or settles something, such as a dispute.
  4. 4
    a clerk in a betting shop who calculates the winnings wordnet
  5. 5
    That which settles or finishes, such as a blow that decides a contest. colloquial
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    a negotiator who settles disputes wordnet
  2. 7
    The person in a betting shop who calculates the winnings. British
  3. 8
    A drink which settles the stomach, especially a bitter drink, often a nightcap.

    "[H]aving got out the rum bottle for a quiet “settler” just as the victim of his fascinations glided through the carefully adjusted door, he had been persuaded to go on drinking."

  4. 9
    A vessel, such as a tub, in which something, such as pulverized ore suspended in a liquid, is allowed to settle.

    "First, there will be little reaction in the settler so that the concentrations of soluble constituents in the recycle stream are the same as those in the bioreactor."

Example

"You cannot create a settler state without the elimination of the natives."

Common questions

What does "settler" mean?

Someone who settles in a new location, especially one who takes up residence in a previously uninhabited place; a colonist.

What is a synonym for "settler"?

Common synonyms include: colonist, almoner, almsgiver, angel, arrival, arriviste.

How do you use "settler" in a sentence?

You cannot create a settler state without the elimination of the natives.

How do you pronounce "settler"?

Pronounced /ˈsɛt.lɚ/.

Etymology

From settle + -er.

More for "settler"