pioneer

[ pahy-uh-neer ]

/ ˌpaɪ əˈnɪər /

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See synonyms for: pioneer / pioneered / pioneering / pioneers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who is among those who first enter or settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others.

a person, group, or thing that is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or development: a woman who was a pioneer in cancer research;vehicles that were pioneers of automotive engineering.

one of a group of foot soldiers detailed to make roads, dig intrenchments, etc., in advance of the main body.

Ecology. an organism that successfully establishes itself in a barren area, thus starting an ecological cycle of life.

Pioneer, Aerospace. one of a series of U.S. space probes that explored the solar system and transmitted scientific information to earth.

Pioneer, (formerly) a member of a Communist organization in the Soviet Union for children ranging in age from 10 to 16.Compare Komsomol (def. 2), Octobrist.

verb (used without object)

to act as a pioneer.

verb (used with object)

to be the first to open or prepare (a way, settlement, etc.).

to take part in the beginnings of; initiate: to pioneer an aid program.

to lead the way for (a group); trailblaze.

adjective

being the earliest, original, first of a particular kind, etc.: a pioneer method of adult education.

of, relating to, or characteristic of pioneers: pioneer justice.

being a pioneer: a pioneer fur trader.

OTHER WORDS FOR pioneer

2 leader, trailblazer, groundbreaker, innovator.

See synonyms for pioneer on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of pioneer

First recorded in 1515–25; from Middle French pionier, Old French peonier “foot soldier”; see origin at peon¹, -eer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pioneer in a sentence

This is classic Finger Lakes riesling from one of the region’s pioneer wineries.
Good wine is now being made in most parts of the country. Here’s how to find it.|Dave McIntyre|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
The rocket scientists in the 1960s who were grasping at the location of Venus and other worlds were pioneers in ways that perhaps even they didn’t realize.
We Never Know Exactly Where We’re Going in Outer Space - Issue 92: Frontiers|Caleb Scharf|November 4, 2020|Nautilus
Women across Paris, Europe and the rest of the world have connected to the method of expression pioneered by the movement’s founder, 29-year-old radical feminist Marguerite Stern.
The Firebrand Behind a Parisian Feminist Movement|Fiona Zublin|November 4, 2020|Ozy
Their landmark legislation has helped create a legal framework for private firms to pioneer more than 200 groundbreaking medical innovations—including the one that saved my life.
Why we shouldn’t give up on bipartisanship, even now|jakemeth|November 3, 2020|Fortune

In a blend of travelogue, memoir, and biography, Kankimäki recounts her travels through Japan, Kenya, and Italy, while retracing the steps of 10 remarkable female pioneers from history.
6 new books to read in November|Rachel King|November 1, 2020|Fortune
Ragtime, blues, country, jazz, soul, and rock and roll were all pioneered or inspired by black artists.
The Cultural Crimes of Iggy Azalea|Amy Zimmerman|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They pioneered arena performances and electric light, enabling the first night performances.
We’re All Carnies Now: Why We Can’t Quit the Circus|Anthony Paletta|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Noyce and his partner Gordon Moore also pioneered a new corporate culture at Intel.
Walter Isaacson’s ‘The Innovators’: How a Gaggle of Geeks Invented the Future|Wendy Smith|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Musk decided he want to make electric cars, he was confronting the world that Ford had pioneered.
From the Model T to the Model S|The Daily Beast|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Blood transfusions on the battlefield, pioneered by Canadian doctor Norman Bethune in the Spanish Civil War, saved many lives.
Blood and War: The Hard Truth About ‘Boots on the Ground’|Clive Irving|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was the last of the old school of veteran leaders who pioneered and founded our commonwealth.
Gospel Doctrine|Joseph F. Smith
A few of the older ones, the 'old-timers', have 'made good,' and hold positions in the society for which they pioneered.
Letters from America|Rupert Brooke
In many places the leadership and the membership of the church have courageously pioneered the way in times of crisis and change.
Herein is Love|Reuel L. Howe
He pioneered his cause to the utmost, talking about it, writing studies for it, and setting every one else doing the same.
Theodor Leschetizky|Annette Hullah
But here you are caught, as it were, into another world; you are to have the way pioneered before you.
The Works Of The Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. IX. (of 12)|Edmund Burke

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (1 of 3)

pioneer

/ (ˌpaɪəˈnɪə) /

noun

a colonist, explorer, or settler of a new land, region, etc
(as modifier)a pioneer wagon

an innovator or developer of something new

military a member of an infantry group that digs entrenchments, makes roads, etc

ecology the first species of plant or animal to colonize an area of bare ground

verb

to be a pioneer (in or of)

(tr) to initiate, prepare, or open upto pioneer a medical programme

Word Origin for pioneer

C16: from Old French paonier infantryman, from paon pawn ²; see also peon 1

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (2 of 3)

Pioneer¹

/ (ˌpaɪəˈnɪə) /

noun

a total abstainer from alcoholic drink, esp a member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, a society devoted to abstention

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (3 of 3)

Pioneer²

/ (ˌpaɪəˈnɪə) /

noun

any of a series of US spacecraft that studied the solar system, esp Pioneer 10, which made the first flyby of Jupiter (1973), and Pioneer 11, which made the first flyby of Saturn (1979)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pioneer

OTHER WORDS FOR pioneer

Origin of pioneer

Words related to pioneer

How to use pioneer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (1 of 3)

Word Origin for pioneer

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (2 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for pioneer (3 of 3)