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
While the white French colonists perpetrated acts of extreme brutality and violence, when Haitian revolutionaries fought back, they were criticized for not following the standard rules of warfare.
—
Julia Gaffield, The Conversation, 15 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, 10 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
Pairing apple pie and cheddar cheese is an American tradition that began with English colonists and persists today in the Northeast and Midwest.
—Staff Author, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Aside from parts of Mexico, where flour tortillas (and then burritos) originated after Spanish colonists brought wheat with them in the 16th century, corn has long been the grain of choice throughout Latin America.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 26 Sep. 2025
European colonists in America killed beavers primarily for their furs and for their scent glands, which were (and are) used in perfumes.
—Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Julia Gaffield, The Conversation, 15 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, 10 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
Pairing apple pie and cheddar cheese is an American tradition that began with English colonists and persists today in the Northeast and Midwest.
—Staff Author, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
Aside from parts of Mexico, where flour tortillas (and then burritos) originated after Spanish colonists brought wheat with them in the 16th century, corn has long been the grain of choice throughout Latin America.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 26 Sep. 2025
European colonists in America killed beavers primarily for their furs and for their scent glands, which were (and are) used in perfumes.
—Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonists
Noun
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Rogers noted that the book argues that a central cause of the war was Anglo settlers’ determination to keep slaves in bondage after Mexico largely abolished it.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Perfect for history buffs, the village recreates what life was like for settlers in Salem during the 1600s.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
24 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 29 Oct. 2025.
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