colonize

verb

col·​o·​nize ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz 

variants also British colonise

colonized; colonizing; colonizes

1

a

transitive + intransitive : to take control of (a people or area) especially as an extension of state power : to claim (someone or something) as a colony

areas colonized by European powers

It [Aléria, France] was, at different times in history, colonized by the Greeks, Etruscans, Carthaginians, and Romans.

—Kristina Killgrove

Pacific Islanders—Hawaiians, Samoans, the Chamorro of Guam—were and remain colonized by the United States …

—Viet Thanh Nguyen

Before the U.S.'s occupation of the roughly 7,500 islands, Spain colonized the Philippines and Mexico concurrently for around 300 years …

—Amanda Albee

As the indigenous people of North America, Native Americans were colonized on their own land, the places to which they trace their social, cultural, and religious origins.

—Kate A. Berry et al.

Portuguese officials are keenly aware of their checkered legacy. They were the first Europeans to colonize in Asia …

—Mark Landler

b

transitive : to migrate to and settle in (an inhabited or uninhabited area) : to establish a colony in

the areas of New England colonized by the Puritans

… the seaside town of Puerto Madryn, named by the Welsh settlers who colonized the few river valleys of Patagonia.

—Anita McConnell

c transitive + intransitive

(1)

biology, of an organism : to spread to and develop in a new area or habitat

… usually the first plant to colonize newly formed sand spits and newly deposited sands on the barrier islands …

—Robert H. Mohlenbrock

(2)

medical, of a microorganism : to multiply in or on a host or an inanimate object or surface

C. diff. is a spore-forming, toxin-producing bacterium that can colonize the large intestine and wreak havoc there …

—Jane E. Brody

… the bacteria that colonize our gut and play a key role in keeping us healthy.

—Katie Hunt

Microorganisms, particularly normal skin flora, colonize and form biofilms quickly on catheter surfaces …

—Daryl S. Paulson

2

transitive : to take or make use of (something) without authority or right : appropriate

Parked cars have colonized city streets for so long that most people assume cars own the curb lane.

—Donald Shoup

"Before colonizing the artistic and intellectual work of Black people, white people should ask themselves questions such as, how can I contribute to this Black person's wellbeing? Am I studying this work for the explicit purpose of Black liberation, or are my motives fundamentally selfish?"

—Amanda Bennett

Synonyms of colonize

• inhabit
• populate
• people

Examples of colonize in a Sentence

The area was colonized in the 18th century.

Weeds quickly colonized the field.

The island had been colonized by plants and animals.

Recent Examples on the Web

Puerto Rico was first colonized by the Spanish from 1493 until 1898, the year that the United States occupied the country as part of the Spanish-American War. —Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026

Favoring plant protein comes with a bonus, says Ben-Asher, because the dietary fiber and phytonutrients only found in plants is fuel for healthy microorganisms that colonize gut microbiota. —Rachel Reiff Ellis, SELF, 5 Feb. 2026

Musk, who has often spoken about the need to colonize other planets, also has dreams of Starship being the vehicle that transports the first humans to Mars. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026

This offering from Now contains 10 probiotic strains that have been identified and verified to naturally colonize the human GI tract. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for colonize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

colonize

verb

col·​o·​nize ˈkäl-ə-ˌnīz 

colonized; colonizing

1

: to establish a colony in or on

England colonized Australia

2

: to establish in a colony

the rights of colonized people

3

: to settle in a colony

colonization

ˌkäl-ə-nə-ˈzā-shən

noun

colonizer

ˈkäl-ə-ˌnī-zər

noun

Medical Definition

colonize

verb

col·​o·​nize ˈkäl-ə-ˌnīz 

colonized; colonizing; colonizes

transitive + intransitive

of a microorganism : to multiply in or on a host or an inanimate object or surface

At least half of all Americans over age 30 have gingivitis, a mild inflammation caused by bacterial plaque. Untreated, it may turn into periodontitis, in which bacteria colonize pockets that form between the gums and teeth.

—Julia Karow, Scientific American

The microbe in question is Candida albicans, a yeast that often harmlessly colonizes patients …

—Joan Stephenson, The Journal of the American Medical Association

These preparations presumably contain "probiotics," usually meaning strains of Lactobacillus to colonize your intestine and promote bacterial growth.

—UC Berkeley Wellness Letter

Microorganisms, particularly normal skin flora, colonize and form biofilms quickly on catheter surfaces …

—Daryl S. Paulson, AORN Journal

colonization

ˌkäl-ə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

asymptomatic wound colonization by staphylococcus

… 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, Science

colonizer noun

Identification of the typical flora in the postoperative ethmoid sinus cavity, as well as a determination of the type of bacteria expected to be colonizers rather than pathogens, would also assist the physician in selecting an appropriate antibiotic.

—Neil Bhattacharyya and Harsha V. Gopal, Ear, Nose and Throat Journal