Synonyms of colonists

colonists

noun

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

• settlers
• pioneers
• colonizers
• colonials
• frontiersmen
• homesteaders
• explorers
• pathfinders
• woodsmen
• mountain men
• bushrangers
• trailblazers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of colonists

Japan regained sovereignty over the island in the 1970s, but the American military still has a heavy presence there, continuing tensions between locals and the armed colonists surrounding them. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

In his telling, the Lenape agreed to sell Dutch colonists only as much land on Manhattan as could be covered by a man’s breeches. — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026

What happened to the colonists remains unknown, but archaeological finds—including otherwise anachronistic English artifacts on Hatteras Island—give some support to White’s theory that at least some of the colonists relocated willingly. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

Between 1824 and 1831, British colonists committed mass atrocities against and forced displacement of the island’s Aboriginal tribes. — Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026

Like much of the valley, Gilroy stands on land that was first occupied by the native Amah Mutsun, then taken over by Spanish colonists and later became Mexico. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 July 2026

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

For example, Indigenous people shared their knowledge of making tea from local plants and herbs with colonists. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026