colonists

Definition of colonistsnext
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 Virginia is recognized as the birthplace of American wine, since colonists attempted the craft in the early 17th century. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026 This practice outraged the American colonists, who believed that general warrants enabled tyranny by empowering officers to enter homes and businesses at will. Amanda Cats-Baril, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026 The Hopis and Zunis were part of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, where Spanish colonists and priests were driven out of the pueblos of New Mexico and northeastern Arizona. Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 27 Feb. 2026 Decades before the Declaration of Independence, colonists organized boycotts and public demonstrations opposing British rule. Karl W. Bickel, Baltimore Sun, 24 Feb. 2026 His outrageous attacks on the citizens of Minnesota are as egregious as anything the British Redcoats did to provoke American colonists into revolution, that started with the Battle of Lexington (painting). Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026 Though panned by critics and ignored by the public, the movie shows the struggles of a boy born on Mars to one of the first colonists. Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026 The American colonists’ decision to frame their rebellion as a quarrel with a man rather than a system was brilliant from a public-relations standpoint, if not exactly honest. The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026 The colonists were subject to arbitrary taxation, warrantless searches, standing armies in their homes, and other evils at the hands of the crown. Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonists
Noun
  • The area was later named in his honor, as more settlers moved in.
    Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Volkspele were historical cosplay events for preteens, musical re-enactments of the Great Trek — the 19th-century migration of Afrikaner settlers away from British rule, heading inland in ox-wagons, that has been mythologized through tales of women and children crossing the Drakensberg barefoot.
    Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • This team will be viewed as pioneers for a school that had never reached a state championship game in any team sport.
    Rick Cantu, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
  • The lake’s volume had fallen about 67% since pioneers settled the valley.
    Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Colonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonists. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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