variants:
also British colonise
colonized; colonizing; colonizes
Definition of colonize
1a
transitive + intransitive
: to take control of a people or area especially as an extension of state power
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.
b
transitive
: to migrate to and settle in (an inhabited or uninhabited area)
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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for colonize
The first known use of colonize was in 1622
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