colonial 1 of 2

Definition of colonialnext

colonial

2 of 2

noun

as in settler
a person who settles in a new region European colonials who built coffee plantations in East Africa

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 colonial
Adjective
The waterfront community is highly pedestrian-friendly and, with a colonial heritage that dates back to the 1600s, fantastic for history buffs. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2026 This South African antelope went extinct around 1800 after being hunted during the colonial era. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Noun
The community is closely associated with Benkos Biohó, an African man believed to have originated from present-day Guinea-Bissau who became a key leader of resistance against Spanish colonial rule. Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026 The stunning colonial is at the end of a cul-de-sac in one of Avon’s most desirable neighborhoods. James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for colonial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonial
Adjective
  • Tweens and teens look to each other for clarity and guidance on how to behave and how to feel, all the while gambling with each other’s social confidence and self-esteem.
    Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Marriage, in this reading, functions as the one social institution that still reliably closes the aspiration gap — a stable anchor for identity and status at a moment when career and credentials no longer deliver those things dependably.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • On March 30, soldiers from the battalion detained a CNN team covering settler violence in the village of Tayasir in the West Bank.
    Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Local history is also reflected in the design, with a Navy pilot (representing the former Naval Air Station Glenview); a member of the Kennicott family, the early settlers of The Grove; the Glenview Farmer’s Market; and a child riding in the 4th of July bike parade featured.
    Jennifer Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • She was joined onstage by local legends Caetano Veloso, a tropicália pioneer, and his sister Maria Bethânia, one of the best-selling artists in Brazilian history.
    Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 3 May 2026
  • Another pioneer in single-vineyard selection Brunello is Tenute Silvio Nardi, which introduced its Vigneto Manachiara in 1995, followed by Vigneto Poggio Doria nine years later.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The Courant has reported, most colonists were not exactly mesmerized by the notion of severing ties with the mother country.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Colonial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonial. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on colonial

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster