as in settler
a person who settles in a new region
over time the colonists began to sense that they were becoming a people unto themselves
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Recent Examples of colonist
The show was inspired by the novel The Swiss Family Robinson, and Lockhart played the mother of a family of space colonists.
—
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
When the European colonists arrived, American chestnut trees were a dominant species throughout most of the eastern piedmont and Appalachian Mountain range.
—Eric J. Wallace, Outside, 24 Oct. 2025
Baking American pumpkins Native Americans introduced early settlers to pumpkins, and the colonists eagerly incorporated them into their diet, even making pies with them.
—Shelley Mitchell, The Conversation, 24 Oct. 2025
The Beaver Moon takes its name from early Native American tribes as well as American colonists, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, when beavers begin sheltering in their lodges after gathering enough food to last the winter.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colonist
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
When the European colonists arrived, American chestnut trees were a dominant species throughout most of the eastern piedmont and Appalachian Mountain range.
—Eric J. Wallace, Outside, 24 Oct. 2025
Baking American pumpkins Native Americans introduced early settlers to pumpkins, and the colonists eagerly incorporated them into their diet, even making pies with them.
—Shelley Mitchell, The Conversation, 24 Oct. 2025
The Beaver Moon takes its name from early Native American tribes as well as American colonists, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, when beavers begin sheltering in their lodges after gathering enough food to last the winter.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonist
Noun
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White South Africans, whose roots can be traced to settlers arriving under Dutch and British colonial rule, dominated the country through a system of racial segregation known as apartheid from 1948 until its abolishment in the early 1990s.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Finally, the South, where European settlers made their mark, highlights Santa Catarina and the surf beaches of Florianópolis.—
Jade Moyano,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Family and love of God, integrity, grit, pioneer grit.—
Justin Ravitz,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
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The resale pioneer’s third-quarter revenues increased 17 percent to $174 million, producing a gross merchandise volume of $520 million.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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An extraordinary colonial spider community in Sulfur Cave (Albania/Greece) sustained by chemoautotrophy.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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In less than a decade, Cabral united more than a million Guineans in the struggle against Portuguese colonial rule, liberating three-quarters of the countryside of Guinea-Bissau and inspiring other African nations to rebel and claim their independence.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonist. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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