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
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
Their pacifism later brings them in direct conflict with the colonists gearing up to fight the British.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
The over-the-top propaganda that leads the game off suggests the Earth Directorate is here to protect colonists from out-of-control corporations and tyrannical governments.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
Salt Cay’s biggest industry (salt production) began in the late 1600s, when British colonists from Bermuda developed the salinas (salt ponds) and the infrastructure.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
The Robinsons, a family of space colonists leave an over-populated Earth in search of a new world.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
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
Their pacifism later brings them in direct conflict with the colonists gearing up to fight the British.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
The over-the-top propaganda that leads the game off suggests the Earth Directorate is here to protect colonists from out-of-control corporations and tyrannical governments.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
Salt Cay’s biggest industry (salt production) began in the late 1600s, when British colonists from Bermuda developed the salinas (salt ponds) and the infrastructure.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
The Robinsons, a family of space colonists leave an over-populated Earth in search of a new world.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonists
Noun
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But the real story is the people, the pioneers who had an idea, and the settlers who turned it into a legacy.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Ringneck pheasants were established 20 years later, and most of the new settlers became pheasant hunters rather than grouse hunters.—
Worth Matthewson,
Outdoor Life,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Band founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will embark on the 12-date Fifty Something tour in June to celebrate the music of the prog rock pioneers, their legacy and the life of Peart.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
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His deep exploration of the archive paid true respect to Cristóbal Balenciaga, one of fashion’s greatest pioneers, while his reimagining of signatures — from sculptural silhouettes to something as elemental as the T-shirt — revealed a couture-level sensibility.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonists. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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