colonize

verb col·o·nize \ ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz \

|Updated on: 3 Aug 2018

Examples: colonize in a Sentence

Definition of colonize

colonized; colonizing

transitive verb

1 a : to establish a colony in or on or of

colonize an island

b : to establish in a colony

the rights of colonized people

2 : to send illegal or irregularly qualified voters into

colonizing doubtful districts

3 : to infiltrate with usually subversive militants for propaganda and strategy reasons

colonize industries

intransitive verb

: to make or establish a colony : settle

—

colonizer

noun

See colonize defined for English-language learners

See colonize defined for kids

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 of colonize from the Web

Correa believes smaller fish here can travel into shallow areas and colonize new territory.

— adam popescu, National Geographic, "These Fish Keep Forests Alive—And Fishing Threatens Them," 12 June 2018
One possibility is that colonizing the galaxy is simply too costly.

— seth shostak /, NBC News, "If space aliens are out there, why haven't we found them?," 11 June 2018
True, Pitchfork has a festival in Paris, and Lollapalooza has colonized Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paris, and Berlin—but Riot Fest has scaled back after briefly running satellite festivals in Toronto and Denver starting in 2013.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Does Chicago have too many music festivals?," 30 May 2018
But as the risk of climate change grows, this will likely change, with the wealthy colonizing the higher, less flood-prone ground inland and especially in and around downtown.

— richard florida, WIRED, "Climate Change Will Force the Poor From Their Homes," 13 July 2018
The condiment had been colonized by multiple molds that looked like green-and-white ridges across the red ground.

— thomas hine, Philly.com, "Brandywine River Museum's new exhibit finds scary beauty in the realm of decay," 5 July 2018
Tommy Studstill, a Cocoa minister who advocates for the homeless, readies hygiene products, food, and clothes for clients who colonize diverse locations from wooded areas to store lots.

— j.d. gallop, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Nearly half a dozen people have died in Walmart parking lots in Brevard County since 2015," 24 June 2018
The back corner is now colonized by San Francisco Conservatory of Music students.

— esther mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "Show tunes and strong drinks at Martuni’s, one of San Francisco’s last piano bars," 8 Mar. 2018
So part of the research was, what made Africa colonized?

— faith cummings, Teen Vogue, "Black Panther Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter on People Dressing Up to See the Movie," 22 Feb. 2018

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

First Known Use of colonize

1622

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

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colonize Synonyms

COLONIZE Defined for English Language Learners

colonize

verb

Definition of colonize for English Language Learners

: to create a colony in or on (a place) : to take control of (an area) and send people to live there
: to move into and live in (a place) as a new type of plant or animal