pioneer
noun
a person who is among those who first enter or settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others.
were pioneering
-
past progressiveof pioneer.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Both were pioneering Latinos — Gomez became the first Mexican-born head of the largest U.S. archdiocese in 2011, and Francis became the first pontiff from the Americas in 2013.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2025
Palmieri’s relentless measurements, often made with instruments he invented, were pioneering.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 16, 2023
His thoughts, which were pioneering for modernizing Japan, were based on the idea that workers and companies must be motivated by pure intentions, not by greed, and ultimately the desire to serve society.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 30, 2022
His legal battles were pioneering, too, and were depicted in the 1996 film The People vs Larry Flynt, in which he was played by Woody Harrelson.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2021
The dance’s spare style and its pairing of a black man with a white woman were pioneering, if not shocking, for 1950s audiences.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 19, 2018
