Meaning & use
early settler
Last updated
UK/ˌɜːli ˈsetlə/
US/ˌɝːli ˈsetlər/
Meaning
nouncountable
One of the first people to move to and live in a new place, often building a community.
Grammar: Countable: the early settlers of the region.
Patterns
- early settlers of the region
Early settlers built log cabins beside the river.
The museum honors the early settlers who farmed the valley.
Many early settlers faced harsh winters.
Common combinations
- early settlers
- Early settlers cleared the forest.
- descendants of early settlers
- She is a descendant of early settlers.
- early settler family
- An early settler family owned the farm.
- early settler cemetery
- We visited the early settler cemetery.
- arrival of early settlers
- The arrival of early settlers changed the region.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pioneer
- Stresses being first in doing something new.
- colonist
- Suggests settlement on behalf of a distant government.
- homesteader
- Specifically someone farming land under a settlement program.
- newcomer
- Any recent arrival, not necessarily early.
Word family
- settler noun
- a person who settles
- settle verb
- to make a home
- settlement noun
- a new community
Commonly confused: early settler or native?
early settler vs native
A native is born in a place or has long roots there; an early settler arrives from elsewhere.
Practice
An early settler is best described as ___.
Choose one answer.
Early settlers were among the first residents. The others are different roles.
Make it your own
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