hunter-gatherer

noun

hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er ˈhən-tər-ˈga-t͟hər-ər How to pronounce hunter-gatherer (audio)
Synonyms of hunter-gatherernext
: a member of a culture in which food is obtained by hunting, fishing, and foraging rather than by agriculture or animal husbandry

Examples of hunter-gatherer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For our hunter-gatherer ancestors, getting enough of these critical nutrients was a daily life-and-death struggle. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 17 June 2026 Around a hundred members of the hunter-gatherer Shompen tribe live in the Great Nicobar's rainforests. — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 7 June 2026 Today’s fathers contribute more to childcare than even the most hands-on hunter-gatherer dad, because there’s simply less of a village to support shared care. — Darby Saxbe, Fortune, 21 June 2026 Today’s fathers contribute more to childcare than even the most hands-on hunter-gatherer dad, because there’s simply less of a village to support shared care. — Darby Saxbe, The Conversation, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hunter-gatherer

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunter-gatherer was in 1938

Rhymes for hunter-gatherer

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Browse Nearby Words

hunter's pink
hunter-gatherer
hunter green
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hunter-gatherer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunter-gatherer. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hunter-gatherer

noun
hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er
-ˈgat͟h-ər-ər, 
-ˈget͟h-
: a member of a culture in which food is gotten by hunting, fishing, and gathering rather than by agriculture

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