Thesaurus results for COLONIST

colonist

noun

ˈkä-lə-nist

Definition of colonist

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 And the war that was fought in the backcountry would serve as a catalyst for the Revolutionary War when the British king decided to help pay down war debt by taxing the colonists. — Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 July 2026 English colonists from Barbados and Bermuda settled in the region during that time, bringing with them enslaved Africans with their own abundant culinary heritage. — Amethyst Ganaway, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026 Starting in the seventeenth century, Spanish colonists enslaved Africans and brought them to the coffee and cocoa plantations that were concentrated in the area. — Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 Rare artifacts, detailed maps and personal stories walk visitors through a time when control of Fort Pitt meant control of the West, giving colonists a crucial foothold in the struggle against British rule. — Usa Today, USA Today, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for colonist

Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonist

Noun

But that friendship was betrayed as settlers dried up the Gila with upstream dams and diversions.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Some people, including descendents of long-ago English, Welsh and Scotch-Irish settlers, now identify themselves simply as American.

— Albert Sun, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of settler

Noun

As a kid, Grant was an Eagle scout, and essentially built a historical trail after discovering pioneer grave sites.

— Sam McDowell July 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
The pioneer of the world’s largest Bitcoin asset treasury attended the president’s first crypto summit at the White House in March 2025.

— Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 1 July 2026

Definition of pioneer

Noun

Burbank’s environmental determinism was tangled with a settler-colonial impulse to imbue the wild landscape with Western ideals of control and organization to not only manage but also improve populations, in both plants and humans.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2026
Then this private driveway passes fruit trees, a vineyard, and mature plantings, before finally reaching the impressive colonial that is at the heart of this nearly four-acre country estate at 46 Andrews Road in Wolcott.

— James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026

Definition of colonial

Browse Nearby Words

colonies

colonist

colonists

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“Colonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonist. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of colonist

noun

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