colonize

play

verb col·o·nize \ ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz \

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

The scientific evidence available before the summer of 1998 suggested escaped Atlantic salmon were not colonizing local watersheds and were not significantly impacting native fish.

— lynda v. mapes, The Seattle Times, "Farmed salmon ‘heading to every river in Puget Sound’," 24 Aug. 2017
Newt Gingrich is many things: a former presidential candidate, a man with opinions on women’s bodies, someone who wants to colonize the moon.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Newt Gingrich Is Enrolled in ‘Spouse School’," 21 Aug. 2017
Was it because the province was part of the last hospitable corner of the world to be explored and colonized by representatives of western civilization?

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Reading the North: A travel guide and ‘The Promise of Paradise’," 19 Aug. 2017
Healthcare officials have since adopted new protocols, including having healthcare workers wear more protective equipment and isolating all patients that are infected or colonized by the fungus.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Deadly drug-resistant fungus sparks outbreaks in UK—and it’s stalking US," 16 Aug. 2017
This adaptability has allowed coyotes to successfully colonize cities and subdivisions.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Coyote project offers insight into lives of adaptable, valuable species," 5 July 2017
Their aggression in colonizing new areas and attacking rival insects helps them push out native insects and even nesting birds and reptiles.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "How Humans Helped Ants Invade the World," 27 June 2017
The particular strains of Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus that are typically found in many yogurts and pills may not be the same kind that can survive the highly acidic environment of the human stomach and from there colonize the gut.

— ferris jabr, Scientific American, "Do Probiotics Really Work?," 26 June 2017
In other words, the enlarged range would further colonize this area of the park for golf.

— blair kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Lack of coordination on Obama center, Tiger Woods golf course threatens Jackson Park redesign," 23 June 2017

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

colonize Synonyms

Synonyms

settle, people, populate

Antonyms

depopulate, unpeople

Related Words

inhabit; move (to), relocate (to)

COLONIZE Defined for English Language Learners

colonize

play

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

COLONIZE Defined for Kids

colonize

play

verb col·o·nize \ ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz \

Definition of colonize for Students

colonized; colonizing

1 :to establish a colony in or on

2 :to settle in a colony

Medical Dictionary

colonize

play

verb col·o·nize \ ˈkäl-ə-ˌnīz \

medical Definition of colonize

colonized; colonizing

transitive verb

1 :to establish a colony in or on

the parasitic roundworms…have succeeded in colonizing a great variety of hosts
—W. H. Dowdeswell

2 :to isolate in supervised groups

intransitive verb

of microorganisms :to become established in a habitat (as a host or a wound)

these bacteria in turn colonize in other parts of the body
—R. A. Runnells

—

colonization

play \ˌkäl-ə-nə-ˈzā-shən\ noun

Learn More about colonize

See words that rhyme with colonize Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for colonize Spanish Central: Translation of colonize Nglish: Translation of colonize for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of colonize for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up colonize? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

colonize

Definition of colonize

colonizer

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of colonize in a Sentence

Recent Examples of colonize from the Web

First Known Use of colonize

colonize Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

COLONIZE Defined for English Language Learners

colonize

Definition of colonize for English Language Learners

COLONIZE Defined for Kids

colonize

Definition of colonize for Students

Medical Dictionary

colonize

medical Definition of colonize

colonization

Learn More about colonize

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066