Synonyms of colonize

colonize

verb

ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz 

as in to inhabit

to supply with inhabitants

believes that someday humans will be sent to colonize Mars

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inhabit
• populate
• people
• settle
• move (to)
• relocate (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• depopulate
• unpeople

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of colonize

Canney adds that seeds can also disperse by water, traveling down rivers and streams to colonize floodplains. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 22 Oct. 2026

These included quotes by Fanon, a philosopher who wrote extensively about the ways in which colonized people adopt the mindsets of their oppressors. — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

These platforms are colonizing existing speculative spaces—like election results and sporting outcomes—while profiting from areas of asymmetrical knowledge that were previously not possible to monetize. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

In recent decades, the government of the Netherlands — which colonized Indonesia from the 1600s-1900s — has been in the process of repatriating sculptures, reliefs, and other items to the arts and culture administration in Java. — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026