pioneering

[pahy-uh-neer-ing]

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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

1. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pioneering¹

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

But one farmer in the south of Scotland is pioneering an unconventional method of commercial dairy farming - keeping cow and calf together for about six months.

Read more on BBC

California has prided itself on its expansive public higher education system and its pioneering support of immigrant communities.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Made up of archaeologists and divers from France, England, and the United States, this multinational group included Frederic Dumas, on loan from Jacques Cousteau’s team of divers, and the pioneering archaeologist Honor Frost.

Read more on Literature

The first retrospective devoted to Reed traces his life and work from his days as a graphic designer in the 1950s onward, outlining a pioneering, eight-decade career that ranged across mediums and movements.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“The opening of our Carlsbad facility underscores our strong commitment to the U.S. and dedication to bringing this pioneering treatment to patients across the country,” Narasimhan of Novartis said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• advanced 
• ahead of its time www.thesaurus.com
• experimental 
• groundbreaking 
• innovative 
• innovatory www.thesaurus.com
• inventive 
• modern 
• new 
• original 
• progressive 
• revolutionary 
• state-of-the-art 
• trailblazing www.thesaurus.com
• ultramodern 
• unorthodox