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

“I hope the President will join us in pioneering a real solution that levels the playing field with international competition.”

From Los Angeles Times

A father with an incurable brain tumour has donated his tears to a pioneering study that could revolutionise how brain cancers are detected because he wants to "make a difference".

From BBC

Last year, a pioneering European flying car firm was bought by a Chinese firm.

From BBC

Google's President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat told BBC News in an exclusive interview that there were "profound opportunities in the UK" for its "pioneering work in advanced science".

From BBC

She approaches the American experiment from myriad angles, drawing on protagonists such as Jane Franklin, Ben Franklin’s precocious sister, and the Simulmatics Corp., whose pioneering computer algorithms still shape our reality.

From 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