colony

noun

col·​o·​ny ˈkä-lə-nē 

plural colonies

1

: an area over which a foreign nation or state extends or maintains control

a former colony

"British America" in 1776 signified not only the thirteen colonies and [the historical region called] the Floridas, but also Canada, Nova Scotia, and Britain's Caribbean colonies …

—Linda Colley

also : a group of people who establish residence in that area and who retain ties with the parent state

members of Plymouth colony

2

: a group of people who settle together in a new place

… building an ecosystem from scratch on Mars that can provide food, water and oxygen to support a colony is no small task.

—Eric Mack

also : the land or buildings used by such a group

… suggested … the possibility that crops grown inside the [theoretical Mars] colony would produce suffocating levels of oxygen.

—Scott Dance

3

: a distinguishable localized population of a species or type of organism

a colony of termites/ants

The birds [black skimmers] generally nest in colonies along beaches, with the largest colony in Florida residing on Marco Island.

—Karl Schneider

4

a

: a circumscribed mass of microorganisms usually growing in or on a solid medium

colonies of bacteria

b

: the aggregation of zooids of a compound animal (such as a coral or bryozoan)

A new coral colony is begun when a planula settles down on a reef, attaches itself there, and forms the first polyp, from which others bud.

—Joseph E. Neigel and John C. Avise

5

: a group of individuals or things with common characteristics or interests living in close association

an artist colony

a nudist colony

also : the land or buildings used by such a group

6

: a group of persons institutionalized away from others

a leper colony

a penal colony

also : the land or buildings used by such a group

Synonyms

• plantation
• outpost

Examples of colony in a Sentence

Massachusetts was one of the original 13 British colonies that later became the United States.

a former French colony in Africa

Recent Examples on the Web

The Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet Reach is built to tackle tumbleweeds of fur and mystery crumbs with surprising grace—thanks to a tangle-preventing brush roll and a wand that pops free for those hard-to-reach corners (or the perpetual dust colony behind your sofa). —Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025

To win, the Patriots would have to unite the colonies, declare American independence, promise more political participation to grow their coalition, secure French support, and ultimately create a government strong enough to function without jeopardizing individual rights and liberties. —Sarah Botstein, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025

Ostranauts is set in the same universe as the studio's previous title, NEO Scavenger, and draws on that game's rich lore to populate its world with factions, colonies, and corporations. —Alan Bradley, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025

At the beginning, the cells would only replace about one in every 100,000 cells each day, a significantly slower pace than average bacterial colonies that can completely replicate in lab settings in the same period, according to the release. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English colonie, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin colonia, from colonus farmer, colonist, from colere to cultivate — more at wheel

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing colony

• colony collapse disorder
• colony-stimulating factor
• crown colony
• penal colony
• settler colony
• sub-colony

Kids Definition

colony

noun

col·​o·​ny ˈkäl-ə-nē 

plural colonies

1

a

: a distant territory under the control of a foreign nation

b

: a group of people who settle in that territory and retain ties with their original homeland

2

: a group of people who settle in a new place

3

a

: a population of plants or animals in a particular place that belong to one species

b

: a mass of microbes usually growing in or on a solid food source (as agar)

4

: a group of people with common qualities or interests living in close association

an artist colony

Medical Definition

colony

noun

col·​o·​ny ˈkäl-ə-nē 

plural colonies

: a circumscribed mass of microorganisms usually growing in or on a solid medium