- being a pioneer, one of the first to settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others: This early pioneering family helped open up western Victoria in Australia.
- being among the first in any field of inquiry or activity; being among those spearheading an initiative of some kind: Ours is a pioneering institution, continually advancing the understanding of medicine through groundbreaking research.
- (of an organism) successfully establishing itself in a barren area, thus starting an ecological cycle of life: Pioneering species can initiate recovery on drastically disturbed sites like that of the former gas plant.
- the act or process of being a pioneer; the early settling of land, or the first forays into some type of activity: I read about that forward-thinking doctor in an article on the pioneering of in vitro fertilization.
