Meaning & use
explorer
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who travels through little-known places to find out what is there.
Grammar: Countable: an explorer, many explorers.
Patterns
- an explorer of something
The explorer spent two years mapping the river basin.
Early explorers sailed in tiny wooden ships.
She dreamed of becoming a polar explorer.
nouncountablefigurative
A person who enjoys investigating a subject, idea, or activity and trying new things.
Grammar: Often followed by of: an explorer of ideas.
Patterns
- an explorer of something
As a young child he was a natural explorer, opening every cupboard.
The museum is designed for curious explorers of all ages.
Word forms
| plural | explorers |
|---|
Common combinations
- polar explorer
- The polar explorer returned after months on the ice.
- early explorer
- Early explorers relied on stars to navigate.
- intrepid explorer
- The intrepid explorer crossed the desert on foot.
- space explorer
- Space explorers face long periods away from Earth.
Synonyms and how they differ
- adventurer
- Stresses excitement and risk more than discovery.
- pioneer
- Is the first to settle or develop something, not just to visit it.
- traveler
- Is general and does not suggest finding anything new.
Word family
- explore verb
- to travel through or study something to learn about it
- exploration noun
- the act of exploring
- exploratory adjective
- done to find out more
Commonly confused: explorer or explorer?
explorer vs explorer
Not the same as the Internet Explorer, a software brand; the common noun refers to a person.
Practice
Which person is best described as an explorer?
Choose one answer.
An explorer ventures into unfamiliar territory to learn about it. The other people go to known places or do routine work.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “explorer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.