Definition of colonynext
1
as in plantation
a settlement in a new country or region the early history of New York City when it was a Dutch colony

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2
as in community
a group of people with a common interest living in one place New Hampshire's MacDowell colony was founded as a summer residence for writers and composers

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of colony The Second Continental Congress, a committee of delegates from 13 of the colonies convened in Philadelphia, wanted a formal document to justify their rebellion to the world, and to secure foreign military alliances. The Week Uk, TheWeek, 4 July 2026 As the colonies moved toward independence in the name of liberty, one of America’s most gifted voices found her first audience across the Atlantic. Robin Follman, Oc Register, 4 July 2026 Representatives from all 13 colonies attended this meeting of the de facto national government. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026 Much of the coffee in the colonies was grown in the Caribbean, while tea came from China. James Doubek, NPR, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for colony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colony
Noun
  • Mignon Armistead Dunn was born in Memphis on June 17, 1928, and moved with her family to a cotton plantation at Tyronza in Poinsett County at an early age, David Sesser wrote for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
    Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2026
  • Yet the South soon got up off its feet and reasserted the plantation ethos, while the North surrendered the cause of racial equality in the name of national reconciliation.
    James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Noun
  • Bhajans are a centuries-old form of devotional singing performed in temples, religious processions and community spaces across India, often free of charge.
    Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • As America celebrates its 250th birthday, Sutton hopes the country remembers that supporting those who protect their communities shouldn't end when the headlines do.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • Along with a half-dozen other leading-edge American space outfits including Blue Origin, Axiom Space and Starlab Space, SpaceX has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to develop orbital outposts that could host NASA and Allied astronauts through the next decades.
    Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Finley’s Fiction, an outpost of the one on Shelter Island, will have kids’ story hour on Saturday mornings and author events; in July, Kate Doerge and Katharine Holabird.
    Nancy Kane, Curbed, 25 June 2026

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“Colony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colony. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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