colonial

1 of 2

adjective

co·​lo·​nial kə-ˈlō-nē-əl How to pronounce colonial (audio)
-nyəl
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony
colonial trade
colonial life
a colonial capital
The Haitian Revolution, led by self-liberated enslaved people against the French colonial government, was an early precursor to the abolition movements of the United States.Chadd Scott
: having the status of a colony
colonial territories
b
: possessing or composed of colonies
Britain's colonial empire
… when the United States became a colonial power, assuming control of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Hawaii …Peter S. Canellos
2
or less commonly Colonial : of or relating to a period when an area is being colonized and especially to the period of European colonization in U.S. history between the early 17th century and the late 18th century
in colonial times
: such as
a
: made or prevailing during a colonial period
a town known for its Dutch/French/Spanish colonial architecture
colonial furniture
b
: adapted from or reminiscent of a mode of design from a colonial period
new homes built in the colonial style
3
: forming, existing in, or used by a colony
Though it may look like a tropical plant or colorful rock, coral is a colonial carnivore …Mark Derr
colonialize transitive verb
colonially adverb
colonialness noun

colonial

2 of 2

noun

plural colonials
1
: a member or inhabitant of a colony
British colonials in India
a rebellion of the colonials
2
a
: a product (such as a coin or stamp) made for use in a colony
b
or Colonial : a product exhibiting colonial style
especially : a house built in the neoclassical style of the American colonial period
LaMontagne said the homes will be two-story Colonials with attached garages and about three to four bedrooms. Mark Hayward

Examples of colonial in a Sentence

Adjective The country was a colonial power. a colonial nation and its colonial empire The book describes life in Colonial America. an example of colonial architecture The port had been very important in colonial times. Noun They bought a Colonial on a quiet street. increasing tension between colonials and the mother country
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
An essay as if a dispatch from a colonial century ago. Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 This is politics presented as grand spectacle and ironic comedy: an original treatment of how a young popular African leader was assassinated in a coup d’etat so that colonial powers can keep profiting from his country’s mineral wealth. Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 The new study provides documentation of tobacco use that’s hundreds of years older than colonial records. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024 Home: This is a 3-bed, 2-and-a-half bath, 3,850-square-foot, colonial home built in 1916 in downtown Corydon, Indiana. Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 7 Mar. 2024 Image The Spanish founded Bogotá in 1538 after a brutal conquest of the Indigenous Muisca people, and the city soon became a center of colonial power. Julie Turkewitz Nathalia Angarita, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Saturday’s schedule also included demonstrations of colonial life, lectures and performances. Heather McRea, Orange County Register, 2 Mar. 2024 The image doesn’t show us much, other than a few colonial buildings, a square and a couple of ghostly figures straying into the frame. Thomas Page, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Once England’s fourth permanent settlement in North America, St. Mary’s is now Historic St. Mary’s City, an archaeology and history museum devoted to the colonial capital. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
The 2020 national-security law, combined with British colonial regulations that the city has resuscitated to criminalize political speech, have obliterated civic space. Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2024 Evansville This Charleston-style colonial home in Evansville has plenty of space and curb appeal, with more than 3,200 sq ft, 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Feb. 2024 With the first houses constructed in the 1960s by five builders, McLean Hamlet contains a range of architectural styles, from capes to colonials and contemporaries. Hope Hodge Seck, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2023 The British, who have a long history of getting colonials to do their fighting for them, were quite happy to accept Jews into the ranks of the British Armed Forces. Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024 The open-floor plan in this colonial is characterized by custom plaster moldings, ceiling medallions, terra cotta and solid wood floors, high ceilings, recessed lighting and a custom mural off the foyer. Karen A. Avitabile, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2024 Advertisement The land the park sits on had served as the city’s dump from the era of Spanish colonial rule up to the early 20th Century. Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 But the money was conditioned on the Philippines accepting the indignities of the Bell Trade Act, which perpetuated key aspects of the colonial arrangement. Peter S. Goodman Jes Aznar, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2023 But the author also contextualizes this period of the 19th century, tracing the elements of women’s clothing from the cotton plantations in the southern U.S. to the far reaches of the British colonial empire. Beth Py-Lieberman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colonial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of colonial was in 1764

Dictionary Entries Near colonial

Cite this Entry

“Colonial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonial. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

colonial

1 of 2 adjective
co·​lo·​nial kə-ˈlō-nē-əl How to pronounce colonial (audio)
-nyəl
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony
2
often capitalized : of or relating to the original 13 colonies forming the U.S.
3
: forming or existing in a colony
colonial organisms
4
: possessing or composed of colonies
a colonial empire

colonial

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on colonial

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