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
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
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.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 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
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
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
As late as 1776, only a third of colonists supported the Revolution wholeheartedly; a roughly equal amount remained loyal to the crown, and the remainder had yet to make up their minds.
—Time, 9 Oct. 2025
When the sun rose on the 17th, it was revealed that the colonists—possibly out of a last-minute change of plans, possibly out of moonlit confusion—had built a rough defensive fort on the other hill, Breed’s Hill.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Around the end of the eighteenth century, about 80 percent of New England was forested—down from over 90 percent when European colonists first arrived.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2025
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 25 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.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 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
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
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
As late as 1776, only a third of colonists supported the Revolution wholeheartedly; a roughly equal amount remained loyal to the crown, and the remainder had yet to make up their minds.
—Time, 9 Oct. 2025
When the sun rose on the 17th, it was revealed that the colonists—possibly out of a last-minute change of plans, possibly out of moonlit confusion—had built a rough defensive fort on the other hill, Breed’s Hill.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Around the end of the eighteenth century, about 80 percent of New England was forested—down from over 90 percent when European colonists first arrived.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonists
Noun
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Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian-American from Palm Bay, Florida, was arrested by Israeli forces in February 2025 after being accused of throwing rocks at Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Afrikaners, who are descendants of primarily Dutch colonial settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 1600s, governed the country from 1948 to 1994 and imposed racial separation laws known as apartheid.—
Annika Neklason,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This year’s festival is an expansion of the annual Apple Festival of past years, offering insights into the early history of the area, the pioneers who planted apple orchards, games, square dancing, food, music and crafts.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
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For years, crypto in the United States was a largely theoretical project — a parallel financial system led by a community of extremely online pioneers, who believed the future of money lay in computer networks outside the control of governments or central banks.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonists. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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