settler colonialism
noun
: colonialism in which people from a colonizing nation or state migrate to an area and establish a settler colony that functions to extend and maintain the colonizing power's control over the area
Settler colonialism, by definition, advantages settlers over Indigenous peoples, and this deluge rapidly alienated millions of acres from tribes such as the Cherokee …—Ned Blackhawk
Greed, status and state-building are the key dynamics animating settler colonialism, and these dynamics can be found everywhere.—Lachlan McNamee
Due to the seriousness of Oromo resistance to slavery and colonialism, it took over 30 years to establish Ethiopian settler colonialism and its institutions in various Oromo regions.—Asafa Jalata
settler colonialist
noun
or settler-colonialist
plural settler colonialists or settler-colonialists
European settler colonialists
settler colonialist
adjective
or settler-colonialist
a settler colonialist state
settler-colonialist policies
Cite this Entry
“Settler colonialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/settler%20colonialism. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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