pi·o·neer
ˌpī-ə-ˈnir 
1
: a member of a military unit usually of construction engineers
2
a
: a person or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity or a new method or technical development
b
: one of the first to settle in a territory
3
: a plant or animal capable of establishing itself in a bare, barren, or open area and initiating an ecological cycle
pioneered; pioneering; pioneers
: to act as a pioneer
pioneered in the development of airplanes
1
: to open or prepare for others to follow
also
: settle
2
: to originate or take part in the development of
Examples of pioneer in a Sentence
Noun
the pioneers who settled in the American West in the 19th century
the hardships that the pioneers endured while taming the wilderness
Verb
a painter who pioneered a new art form
The new method of cancer treatment was pioneered by an international team of researchers.
He helped pioneer a new route to the West.
He pioneered in the development of airplanes.
Adjective
the nation's pioneer institution for the education of African-Americans
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Co-founded in 1986 by philanthropist and child health advocate Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and pediatrician and genetics pioneer Professor David Danks, MCRI comprises 1,800 scientists, researchers and clinicians.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Deadline, 20 May 2026
The 21st-century fervor about building the first industrial-scale quantum computer, pioneering theoretical physicist Peter Zoller says, is akin to the 20th-century obsession with becoming the first to conquer Mount Everest.
—Zeeya Merali, Scientific American, 19 May 2026
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
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Noun
By Cyril Kongo Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has long treated the automobile as an art form, but its latest collaboration with French graffiti pioneer Cyril Kongo pushes that philosophy into entirely new territory.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Co-founded in 1986 by philanthropist and child health advocate Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and pediatrician and genetics pioneer Professor David Danks, MCRI comprises 1,800 scientists, researchers and clinicians.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Verb
Since pioneering the handheld gimbal camera category in 2015 and launching one of the world’s first pocket gimbal cameras in 2018, DJI has continued to reshape how creators capture motion and visual stories.
—Deadline, 20 May 2026
The 21st-century fervor about building the first industrial-scale quantum computer, pioneering theoretical physicist Peter Zoller says, is akin to the 20th-century obsession with becoming the first to conquer Mount Everest.
—Zeeya Merali, Scientific American, 19 May 2026
Adjective
In tandem with the modernist movement of the 20th century was the Danish concept of functionalism; a design philosophy of form follows function, which was introduced by pioneer Danish architects like Poul Henningsen and Vilhelm Lauritzen.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Cite this Entry
“Pioneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pioneer. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pioneer
1 of 2 noun
pi·o·neer
ˌpī-ə-ˈni(ə)r
1
: a person or group that explores new areas of thought or activity
pioneers of American medicine
2
: one of the first to settle in an area : colonist
pioneer
adjective
pioneer
2 of 2 verb1
: to act as a pioneer
2
: to open or prepare for others to follow
especially
: settle entry 2 sense 2a
3
: to begin or take part in the development of something new
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