colonists

plural of colonist
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

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 colonists 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 Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own. Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 For example, Indigenous people shared their knowledge of making tea from local plants and herbs with colonists. Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026 The king refused to look at it, and issued the Proclamation of Rebellion, declaring the colonists traitors and hiring 30,000 German mercenaries to help crush them. The Week Uk, TheWeek, 4 July 2026 Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own. Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2026 These were moments of extraordinary dissent against the British government by American colonists. Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Any history book will tell you that Spaniards arrived in North America more than 100 years before British colonists landed at Jamestown. Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonists
Noun
  • The settlers were ordered to shoot-to-kill at anyone—armed or unarmed, man or woman—who crossed the plough line.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • The reboot’s creative team worked with Osage scholar and consultant Robert Warrior to draw inspiration for the characters of William Mitchell and his wife, White Sun, from 19 Osage families who lived in Kansas at the time settlers arrived.
    Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • As pioneers of the visual kei movement, which combined punk and glam aesthetics with heavy metal, X Japan became one of the most popular bands in Japan.
    Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • White settlers and frontier pioneers built vast, fenceless cattle stations, battling harsh environments and disease, embracing a hard-living culture that exists to this day.
    Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

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“Colonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonists. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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