as in settlers
a person who settles in a new region
the first colonizers of Easter Island must have faced untold challenges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 colonizers
In 18th-century Trinidad, enslaved Africans who were not allowed to participate in the pre-Lenten traditions of masquerade balls by European colonizers created their own celebrations of defiance.
—
Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
The show traces Hawaii's history, from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the missionary colonizers publicly banning hula, culminating with the cultural practice once again being celebrated in the islands.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
The New York Times How Vietnamese philosopher Trần Đức Thảo conceptualized the divide between colonized and colonizers.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Four years later, Spanish colonizers returned to New Mexico and once again set out to bring the vast desert and its determined residents back under their control.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
After 15 years, Spanish troops dispersed the settlement—which had grown to 4,000, and had its own cavalry—but subsequent maroon groups forced colonizers to sign treaties with them.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Alcohol has devastated generations of Indigenous peoples in the Americas ever since it was introduced by colonizers.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 22 Dec. 2025
They were built by Europeans – the Spanish colonizers.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Fire and Ash finds the threat from the human RDA colonizers looming over Pandora as Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) grieve the loss of their eldest son.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
The show traces Hawaii's history, from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the missionary colonizers publicly banning hula, culminating with the cultural practice once again being celebrated in the islands.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
The New York Times How Vietnamese philosopher Trần Đức Thảo conceptualized the divide between colonized and colonizers.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Four years later, Spanish colonizers returned to New Mexico and once again set out to bring the vast desert and its determined residents back under their control.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
After 15 years, Spanish troops dispersed the settlement—which had grown to 4,000, and had its own cavalry—but subsequent maroon groups forced colonizers to sign treaties with them.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Alcohol has devastated generations of Indigenous peoples in the Americas ever since it was introduced by colonizers.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 22 Dec. 2025
They were built by Europeans – the Spanish colonizers.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Fire and Ash finds the threat from the human RDA colonizers looming over Pandora as Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) grieve the loss of their eldest son.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizers
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
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,
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
Cite this Entry
“Colonizers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizers. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
