colonial

adjective

co·lo·nial | \ kə-ˈlō-nē-əl

, -nyəl\

Definition of colonial

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony

2 often capitalized : of or relating to the original 13 colonies forming the United States: such as

a : made or prevailing in America during the colonial period colonial architecture

b : adapted from or reminiscent of an American colonial mode of design colonial furniture

3 : forming or existing in a colony colonial organisms

4 : possessing or composed of colonies a colonial empire

colonial

noun

Definition of colonial (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a member or inhabitant of a colony

2a : a product (such as a coin or stamp) made for use in a colony

b : a product exhibiting colonial style especially, often capitalized : a house built in the neoclassical style of the American colonial period

Other Words from colonial Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about colonial

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Other Words from colonial

Adjective

colonialize \ kə-ˈlō-nē-ə-ˌlīz

, -nyə-ˌlīz \ transitive verb

colonially adverb

colonialness noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for colonial

Synonyms: Adjective

gregarious, sociable, social

Synonyms: Noun

colonist, colonizer, frontiersman, homesteader, pioneer, settler

Antonyms: Adjective

nonsocial, solitary

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

Thence up the hill to another amazing colonial house for the costumed Arara Ball, the brainchild of Pedro Igor Alcantara and Malu Barreto (wife of the celebrated artist Vik Muniz) of the Arara creative agency. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "Hamish Bowles Sambas His Way Through Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval," 22 Mar. 2019 Cartesiano, Puebla, Mexico This gorgeous property is located inside an old ceramics factory in the heart of Mexico's Puebla, set between brightly painted colonial homes and storefronts. — Betsy Blumenthal, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Hotels in the World: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards," 9 Oct. 2018 They were refreshed and put out, the pool restored, and sad alterations, like fluorescent tube lighting and colonial carriage lamps, were replaced with more thoughtful elements. — Steven Stolman, House Beautiful, "This Delightfully Retro Apartment Complex Has Been Home to Design Royalty," 6 Mar. 2019 After being colonized by Spain for more than three centuries, the Philippines became a U.S. possession in 1898 in a new colonial era that began with the outbreak of the Philippine-American War. — Jim Gomez, The Seattle Times, "US returns 3 disputed bells taken from Philippines in 1901," 11 Dec. 2018 Penn’s announcement comes after similar steps by other universities founded in the colonial era, including Georgetown and Princeton Universities. — Susan Snyder, Philly.com, "Penn's 'profoundly painful' past: At least 75 of the school's earliest trustees owned slaves," 29 June 2018 Now Stay in a Spanish Colonial Mansion in the Heart of the City Spread between six unassuming Spanish-colonial mansions lie Belmond Casa di Sierra Nevada’s luxuriously private accommodations. — Jaimie Potters, ELLE Decor, "A Design Lover's Guide to Visiting San Miguel de Allende," 7 Jan. 2019 Hollywood’s Spanish-colonial beauty, the Roosevelt hotel—home to the first Academy Awards in 1929—hosts The Magic Show at the Roosevelt, with Justin Willman, star of the television show Magic for Humans (from $89 a ticket, themagicshow.com). — Tony Perrottet, WSJ, "A Secret Passageway Into the World’s Most Exclusive Magic Club," 19 Dec. 2018 The city’s architectural landscape evolved as a juxtaposition of styles, with mosques, Chinese temples, and Christian churches, grand colonial architecture, Peranakan mansions, and quaint Chinese shop houses. — Fuchsia Dunlop, Condé Nast Traveler, "Penang is Asia's Next Great Foodie City," 15 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Sociologist John Skrentny theorized that jus soli is strongest in the Western Hemisphere because of the region’s colonial history. — Amanda Erickson, The Seattle Times, "Trump says no other country has birthright citizenship. He’s wrong.," 30 Oct. 2018 Each of the 37 guest rooms have been individually designed in Spanish colonial fashion. — Jaimie Potters, ELLE Decor, "A Design Lover's Guide to Visiting San Miguel de Allende," 7 Jan. 2019 Luca and Cherri’s stories are disrupting dominant narratives that veil existing colonial power structures and wealth inequality. — Mary Lovell, Teen Vogue, "Bayou Bridge Pipeline Meets Resistance from the L’eau Est La Vie Camp," 16 Oct. 2018 While in Kenya, she was seen wearing a pith helmet — one that very closely resembles worn by colonial British soldiers in 19th-century Africa. — Marci Robin, Allure, "The Internet Is Comparing Melania Trump's Outfit to a Famous Fictional Nazi," 7 Oct. 2018 Presidio archaeologists are working on a long-term research project to excavate El Presidio de San Francisco, the Spanish-colonial site buried just below the ground in front of the Presidio Officers’ Club. — SFChronicle.com, "Kids listings," 12 July 2018 The two reporters were charged with violating the Official Secrets Act, a law dating from British colonial times, and if convicted, could get up to 14 years in prison. — Frank Miles, Fox News, "Burma court rules Reuters reporters can face full trial; Haley decries decision," 10 July 2018 Picnic, walk, or run in this energizing environment, designed to replicate the pre-1836 landscape here prior to colonial times. — Sophie Davies, Condé Nast Traveler, "16 Best Parks in Sydney," 20 Mar. 2018 Exotic Modern—that features some spectacular examples of Paul Poiret’s clothing, including his own princely dressing robe, displayed in the house itself, and French colonial-era art in the modern adjunct. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "Hamish Bowles Makes the Most of His Trip to Tokyo for Valentino Pre-Fall—And Then Some," 2 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'colonial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.