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

Such displeased denizens might appreciate Bar Snack, a cocktail lounge that was recently named one of the country’s best new bars. —Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 1 May 2026

Wall Street—to use the term in its figurative sense—would like its customers to make money, but what truly causes its denizens’ juices to flow is feverish activity. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026

Similar plant progressions occur by altitude on the mountains, along with the forest’s famed denizens, the wolf, coyote, moose, black bear, lynx, snowshoe hare, tick, mosquito, midge, deerfly, and blackfly. —Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026

The findings challenge received wisdom about the role of soft-bodied organisms in marine ecosystems and hint at how large body size and intelligence evolved in the denizens of the ocean realm. —Kate Wong, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 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