A settler's a person who's migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads. Settlers are sometimes termed "colonists" or "colonials" and -- in the United States -- "pioneers". Terminology The term settler isn't usually used in relation to the later histories of well-established and/or independent, post-colonial countries with continuing immigration, like… (More on Settler)