colonization
noun
col·o·ni·za·tion
ˌkä-lə-nə-ˈzā-shən 
variants
also British colonisation
plural colonizations
1
: an act or instance of colonizing: such as
a
: the establishing of a colony (see colony sense 1) : subjugation of a people or area especially as an extension of state power
The news arrives at a time of debate over how museums should handle artifacts acquired through colonization and conquest.—
Isis Davis-Marks
Isis Davis-Marks"… in contrast to their earlier colonization of the Caribbean, the Spanish encountered highly urbanized civilizations in Mesoamerica and continually equated them with those of the Islamic and Greco-Roman Mediterranean."—David Carballo
David Carballo
b
: migration to and settlement in an inhabited or uninhabited area
the colonization of space/Mars
c(1)
biology
: the spread and development of an organism in a new area or habitat
The colonization of land by eukaryotes probably was facilitated by a partnership (symbiosis) between a photosynthesizing organism … and a fungus.—Daniel S. Heckman et al.
Daniel S. Heckman et al.
(2)
medical
: the presence and multiplication of a microorganism (such as a bacterium) in or on a host or an inanimate object or surface
It is important to reassess wounds frequently to determine if there is colonization of bacteria within the wound.—Emergency Medicine Reports
Emergency Medicine ReportsAdhesion to the intestinal epithelial cells is considered as necessary for probiotic microorganisms to colonize the large intestine, and colonization is important for beneficial health effects such as modulation of the immune system …—O. D. Amund
O. D. Amund… they significantly reduced the rate of bacterial colonization of the devices from 30% to 9% and cut the rate of infection in patients from 4% to 0.—Carol Potera
Carol Potera
d
: the act or practice of appropriating something that one does not own or have a right to
… the pop culture discourse is more open to considering the fraught dynamic of Western colonization of music rooted in Africa than it's ever been.—Matthew Ismael Ruiz
Matthew Ismael RuizIt's a strange objection from someone who rails against the growing blandness of New York—the chain stores and suburban sensibilities, the colonization by the rich, the boring, the feloniously ahistoric.—Ginia Bellafante
Ginia Bellafante2
: the state of being colonized : subjugation by a foreign power
"If I am fighting our struggle on Indigenous territories, then I must also understand and be in solidarity with Indigenous struggles against colonization. To imagine our freedom without first recognizing and fighting for Indigenous sovereignty is impossible."—El Jones
El JonesExamples of colonization in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Exhibiting unique intelligence and soul, this first-time filmmaker just won top prize at the Seattle International Film Festival — with a singular gothic revenge nightmare rooted in the colonization and cultural theft inflicted upon the Māori people of Aotearoa/New Zealand in the mid-19th century.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
In Ho Chi Minh City, bánh mì grew out of French colonization — the colonists brought the baguette, and Vietnamese bakers reworked it into something lighter and crispier.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
Touching upon themes like colonization and history, this book is a triumph from the Hamnet author.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Two French soldiers carry the Infanta of Spain’s portrait to young Louis XIV, joined by Alejandro, a Spanish nobleman enthralled by science, colonization and the New World’s promises.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonization
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Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
In Ho Chi Minh City, bánh mì grew out of French colonization — the colonists brought the baguette, and Vietnamese bakers reworked it into something lighter and crispier.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
Touching upon themes like colonization and history, this book is a triumph from the Hamnet author.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
Two French soldiers carry the Infanta of Spain’s portrait to young Louis XIV, joined by Alejandro, a Spanish nobleman enthralled by science, colonization and the New World’s promises.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonization
Cite this Entry
“Colonization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonization. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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