Synonyms

pioneering

American

[pahy-uh-neer-ing] / ˌpaɪ əˈnɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

being a pioneer, one of the first to settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others.

This early pioneering family helped open up western Victoria in Australia.
being among the first in any field of inquiry or activity; being among those spearheading an initiative of some kind.

Ours is a pioneering institution, continually advancing the understanding of medicine through groundbreaking research.
Ecology. (of an organism) successfully establishing itself in a barren area, thus starting an ecological cycle of life.

Pioneering species can initiate recovery on drastically disturbed sites like that of the former gas plant.

noun

the act or process of being a pioneer; the early settling of land, or the first forays into some type of activity.

I read about that forward-thinking doctor in an article on the pioneering of in vitro fertilization.

Other Word Forms

unpioneering adjective

Etymology

Origin of pioneering

First recorded in 1700–10; pioneer ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; pioneer ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As a pioneering robot designer, Brooks is particularly skeptical about the tech industry’s fascination with humanoid robots.

From Los Angeles Times

A pioneering 2021 study found that just 30 minutes of phone scrolling tires us out psychologically, actually reducing our ability to exercise.

From The Wall Street Journal

Positioning him as a pioneering visionary, it also inflates Man Ray’s significance.

From The Wall Street Journal

King's pioneering work off the court paid off: women now receive equal prize money to the men at each of the four majors.

From Barron's

The country has a pioneering special court for trying human-rights crimes, staffed with a blend of national and international judges.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023