Squatter

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈskwɒ.tə/

Definitions

1. A person who unlawfully occupies land or property without the owner's consent ; an individual who settles in a new or undeveloped area to establish residence
2. Someone who takes possession of land or buildings without legal right or title ; a resident who inhabits recently colonized or frontier regions
3. An individual living on property without authorization from the legal owner ; a settler who occupies and lives on land newly claimed or opened for habitation

Etymology: The verb "squat" is older than the person who does it. It came into English in Middle English as "squatten," meaning to crouch or sit with the knees bent close to the body, and it reached English through Old French "esquatir," which meant to flatten or press down, from Latin "coactus," a past participle of "cogere," to compel or press together. So the original image is a body pressed down into a low, compact shape, not a trespasser. "Squatter" is simply "squat" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning the one who squats. Its sense of someone who settles on land without legal title comes from the verb's later meaning of settling or sitting down on unoccupied ground without permission. The word is often associated with the settlement of unclaimed land, and that usage gave the noun its second, more familiar meaning of a person who settles in a new or undeveloped area and establishes residence.

Synonyms: occupant, trespasser, settler, invader, intruder

Antonyms: owner, landlord, proprietor, tenant, resident