denizen

noun

den·​i·​zen ˈde-nə-zən 

plural denizens

1

: inhabitant

denizens of the forest

2

government : a person allowed residence in a foreign country

3

: someone who frequents a place

nightclub denizens

—often used figuratively

… daylilies, purple loosestrife, and other roadside denizens now firmly rooted in Maine …

—Rebecca Sawyer-Fay

Synonyms of denizen

• lover
• fan
• familiar
• patron
• rat
• habitué
• guest
• frequenter

Examples of denizen in a Sentence

one of those muscle-bound denizens of the gym

the polar bear is an iconic denizen of the snowy Arctic

Recent Examples on the Web

Last October, a Waymo ran over and killed KitKat, beloved longtime denizen of Randa’s Market, a liquor store. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

This happens mostly through portraits of local denizens that are part of the show. — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026

Are any of them capturing its denizens with a compassion their subjects can’t themselves reciprocate? — Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

Bay Area denizens will have plenty of games to choose from – and presumably more traffic than usual to deal with – this weekend as nearly every major team in season is set to play at home. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English denizeine, from Anglo-French denisein, denzein inhabitant, inner part, inner, from denz within, from Late Latin deintus, from Latin de- + intus within — more at ent-

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

denizen

noun

den·​i·​zen ˈden-ə-zən 

: inhabitant

especially : a person, animal, or plant found in a particular region or environment