Definition of colonistnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 colonist The ancient route was first traveled by hunter-gatherers, before being used by Indigenous traders, Inca messengers, Spanish colonists, and railway workers, among others. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026 Religious symbols are best displayed in non-governmental spaces given that America was formed by colonists who fled England to seek freedom of religion. Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2026 European colonists in Australia encountered a suite of venomous snakes just as fearsome as those of the Libyan desert. Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 Kimmel also portrayed a colonist and took a satirical swipe at the situation. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for colonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonist
Noun
  • Originally the homeland of the Ohlone Indians, the Mission was taken over by Spanish settlers in the 1700s and so named after the Catholic church at its center, now known as Mission Dolores.
    Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Branly Cadet will research, design, and sculpt a bronze statue of du Sable, Chicago's first permanent non-native settler.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In reality, decades of land abuse and exploitation left behind a scarred terrain uniquely prepared for the arrival of kudzu as a fast-growing pioneer plant.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The early quantum pioneers didn’t realize — at first — that the arcane math that strikingly captured the conduct of atoms had left the real world behind.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The two of them live on-site in what looks like a family home straight out of a 1990s Disney film, a white colonial home with blue shutters.
    Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Ideally located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in the Taskers Pond neighborhood, a handsome colonial has just come on the market.
    James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Colonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonist. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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