Showing results for "pioneering"

• present participle of pioneer.

pioneering

American  

[pahy-uh-neer-ing] / ˌpaɪ əˈnɪər ɪŋ /

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

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

See Examples For:

pioneering

In response, Arcadia officials this month began what they say is a pioneering effort to determine how to protect local municipalities from influence by foreign governments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Following in the footsteps of pioneering overseas restaurants, more domestic pastry chefs are introducing menus entirely dedicated to the dessert course.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The group says pioneering treatments and tests "unimaginable just a decade ago" are now within reach, saying those living with dementia should be supported to take part in the research.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

For a company that has owned a pioneering AI lab since 2014 and has proclaimed itself “AI-first” since 2016, Google seems to have squandered an early lead, experts say.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Many westerners believed that the pioneering women who had moved west and endured significant hardship now deserved the right to participate in government through the vote.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

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