Definition of colonistnext
as in settler
a person who settles in a new region over time the colonists began to sense that they were becoming a people unto themselves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of colonist The English lacked a body of laws specific to slavery; their colonists adapted. — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 Before the American Revolution, white American colonists enjoyed one of the highest standards of living in the Western world. — Sandra Slater, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026 The relationship between colonists and Native Americans was more complex than just a story of conflict as America established itself during and after the Revolution. — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026 Japan regained sovereignty over the island in the 1970s, but the American military still has a heavy presence there, continuing tensions between locals and the armed colonists surrounding them. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for colonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonist
Noun
  • The resulting wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, along with settler violence in the occupied West Bank, have stoked worldwide outrage, straining ties with Israel's closest allies and fueling a rise in antisemitism.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Viewers will learn about the fragile alliance between the English settlers and the Wampanoag people, and the conflict that set the stage for the earliest foundations of American identity, according to FOX Nation.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Like many of the pioneers who would go on to inspire the genre, Hysterical Love Project are resistant to being boxed in as trip-hop at all.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Economists have spent much of 2026 watching to see if the artificial intelligence bubble will burst, much like the boom-and-burn cycle of dot-com pioneer companies in the late 1990s.
    — Joel Mathis, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The neighbors, who had till then lived in a conventional suburban setting — two-story colonials, wide lawns — were appalled.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Directed by Yohane Dean Lengol and Hamed Mobasser, Rumba Royale is set in 1959 Leopoldville, the former capital of Belgian Congo (which is now called Kinshasa), in the final months of Belgian colonial rule.
    — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Colonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonist. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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