as in settlers
a person who settles in a new region
over time the colonists began to sense that they were becoming a people unto themselves
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Recent Examples of colonists
And farther off, toward the mountains, the Cimarronaje—the settlements of the Black Seminoles and Mascogos who, on escaping slavery, became colonists of a territory that asked for their protection in exchange for ownership.
—
Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
From the days of colonists and pirates to the more modern era (of, say, bankers and lawyers servicing offshore corporations), its touristic charms have gone largely unappreciated.
—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Despite this, the edition offered by Goldin Auction was originally printed and distributed so that colonists could read the Second Continental Congress’ argument for separating from Great Britain in July 1776.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2026
Historically, it was meant to remedy something that was true in England, where the colonists came from, which was that the king or those empowered by the king could invade people’s homes at will.
—John E. Jones, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
If these nanotubes are already there, future lunar colonists might not need to bring expensive sensors or battery components from Earth.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Those colonists declared that the land was now theirs.
—Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
The Articles of Association of 1774 was signed by all 53 delegates urging colonists to boycott British goods, marking the Continental Congress's first protest against Britain.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
In the 1700s, Dutch settlers arrived at Kalk Bay, and it was later occupied by British colonists who turned it into a major whaling center.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
From the days of colonists and pirates to the more modern era (of, say, bankers and lawyers servicing offshore corporations), its touristic charms have gone largely unappreciated.
—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Despite this, the edition offered by Goldin Auction was originally printed and distributed so that colonists could read the Second Continental Congress’ argument for separating from Great Britain in July 1776.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2026
Historically, it was meant to remedy something that was true in England, where the colonists came from, which was that the king or those empowered by the king could invade people’s homes at will.
—John E. Jones, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
If these nanotubes are already there, future lunar colonists might not need to bring expensive sensors or battery components from Earth.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Those colonists declared that the land was now theirs.
—Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
The Articles of Association of 1774 was signed by all 53 delegates urging colonists to boycott British goods, marking the Continental Congress's first protest against Britain.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
In the 1700s, Dutch settlers arrived at Kalk Bay, and it was later occupied by British colonists who turned it into a major whaling center.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonists
Noun
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In the 1850s, settlers from around the world poured into California to seek their fortunes during the Gold Rush.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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The findings reveal the Arctic settlers’ seafaring nature and deep understanding of the waters around them.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the early morning hours in 1959, a small airplane carrying early rock pioneers Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens crashed in a frozen Iowa cornfield, killing all on board.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Before the game, Brown gave a speech to the crowd while accompanied by family members of the three pioneers.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonists. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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