as in settlers
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 colonists
Their pacifism later brings them in direct conflict with the colonists gearing up to fight the British.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
The over-the-top propaganda that leads the game off suggests the Earth Directorate is here to protect colonists from out-of-control corporations and tyrannical governments.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
Salt Cay’s biggest industry (salt production) began in the late 1600s, when British colonists from Bermuda developed the salinas (salt ponds) and the infrastructure.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
Kruger was determined to establish a strong republic controlled by Afrikaners [South Africans descended from Dutch colonists].
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025
Since the condition of the Royal Navy was of prime importance to the British Parliament, during the colonial era that body passed several acts that sought to entice or compel colonists in British North America to produce naval stores for the benefit of the mother country.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
The Robinsons, a family of space colonists leave an over-populated Earth in search of a new world.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recommended for European travelers and colonists heading to the East in the late 1800s, quinine was initially added to various alcoholic beverages to mask its bitterness.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024
The colonists pleged to remain loyal to Bavaria and the German language and their traditons.
—Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 2 Dec. 2024
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
The over-the-top propaganda that leads the game off suggests the Earth Directorate is here to protect colonists from out-of-control corporations and tyrannical governments.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
Salt Cay’s biggest industry (salt production) began in the late 1600s, when British colonists from Bermuda developed the salinas (salt ponds) and the infrastructure.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
Kruger was determined to establish a strong republic controlled by Afrikaners [South Africans descended from Dutch colonists].
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025
Since the condition of the Royal Navy was of prime importance to the British Parliament, during the colonial era that body passed several acts that sought to entice or compel colonists in British North America to produce naval stores for the benefit of the mother country.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
The Robinsons, a family of space colonists leave an over-populated Earth in search of a new world.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recommended for European travelers and colonists heading to the East in the late 1800s, quinine was initially added to various alcoholic beverages to mask its bitterness.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024
The colonists pleged to remain loyal to Bavaria and the German language and their traditons.
—Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 2 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonists
Noun
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The earth itself has an abundance of pot-worthy clay, which attracted early settlers and has continued to sustain generations of potters.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Island habitats are particularly vulnerable to invasive species, often brought by human settlers, Wiens said, and not necessarily representative of a broader extinction risk.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Often overshadowed by their male counterparts, these artists–including Elaine de Kooning, Lee Krasner, and Joan Mitchell–were pioneers in their own right.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Then with the [SF drag pioneers of the late ‘60s] the Cockettes and the Angels of Light [communal theater].—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonists. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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