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
American colonists built homes out of chestnut wood, baked with chestnut flour, and in some cases even paid taxes in chestnuts.
—
Todd Plummer, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
Britain’s loyalist supporters, for instance, tried repeatedly to weaponize their fellow colonists’ reflexive fear of foreigners, spreading ugly rumors that French Catholic soldiers had orders to persecute American Protestants, claim their lands for King Louis, and ban the speaking of English.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 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, 4 Nov. 2025
The story, historically told from the white pilgrim's perspective, is that colonists shared a meal with the indigenous Wampanoag people to give thanks for a successful fall harvest.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
The story, historically told from the white pilgrim's perspective, is that colonists shared a meal with the indigenous Wampanoag people to give thanks for a successful fall harvest.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Oct. 2025
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
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
Todd Plummer, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
Britain’s loyalist supporters, for instance, tried repeatedly to weaponize their fellow colonists’ reflexive fear of foreigners, spreading ugly rumors that French Catholic soldiers had orders to persecute American Protestants, claim their lands for King Louis, and ban the speaking of English.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 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, 4 Nov. 2025
The story, historically told from the white pilgrim's perspective, is that colonists shared a meal with the indigenous Wampanoag people to give thanks for a successful fall harvest.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
The story, historically told from the white pilgrim's perspective, is that colonists shared a meal with the indigenous Wampanoag people to give thanks for a successful fall harvest.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Oct. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonists
Noun
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Over the past two years, the Shehadehs have made several attempts to return to their land and their crops – only to be pushed back by settlers, the army or both.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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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
Noun
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Newcomers began to arrive almost immediately, with the growth driven by the forty-niners ‒ the gold-seeking pioneers who began flocking west in 1849.—
Andre Byik,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
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Soundgarden Soundgarden are widely considered one of the great pioneers of grunge.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonists. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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