denizen

[den-uh-zuhn]

noun

1. an inhabitant; resident.

2. a person who regularly frequents a place; habitué.

   the denizens of a local bar.

3. anything adapted to a new place, condition, etc., such as an animal or plant not indigenous to a place but successfully naturalized.

4. British Law.,  an alien admitted to residence and to certain rights of citizenship in a country: this legal designation has been obsolete since the first half of the 20th century.

verb (used with object)

1. Chiefly British.,  to admit (an alien) to residence and certain rights of citizenship in a country.

denizen

/ ˈdɛnɪzən /

noun

1. an inhabitant; occupant; resident

2. an individual permanently resident in a foreign country where he enjoys certain rights of citizenship

3. a plant or animal established in a place to which it is not native

4. a naturalized foreign word

verb

1. (tr) to make a denizen

Other Word Forms

• denization noun
• denizenation noun
• denizenship noun
• undenizened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of denizen¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English denesyn, denisein, from Anglo-French denzein, denszein “(the) one within,” from deinz, dens, denz “inside, on the inside” (from Old French dedens, dedenz; dedans ) + -ein, adjective suffix (from Latin -āneus; -an, -eous ( def. ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of denizen¹

C15: from Anglo-French denisein, from Old French denzein, from denz within, from Latin de intus from within

Example Sentences

And that people who live in rural areas had a slightly steeper drop in pleasure reading than urban denizens over the last two decades.

From Los Angeles Times

Its removal, she added, would allow park denizens to stroll in “liberty and security.”

From Los Angeles Times

Other denizens chose denial and willful ignorance, turning inward to a fantasyland where, somehow, everything was normal, even when it was not.

From Salon

The rep was correct that the boat’s denizens were veteran cruisers devoted to the ship’s luxe service and intimate nature.

From Salon

Given that money is the mother’s milk of American politics, the greater threat to Mamdani’s candidacy may come from Wall Street’s denizens.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dweller 
• inhabitant 
• occupant 
• resident