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

Only about a third of clinical cases come from blood; the rest are found in urine, wounds and the respiratory tract, where the fungus is often colonizing rather than invading. — John Drake, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

If SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to colonize Mars, that tendency to divert extra cash into longshot development programs may never cease. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 24 June 2026

The Caribbean island nation of around 159,000 was colonized by the Dutch in the 1600s and became a hub for the Atlantic slave trade. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026

The film also uncovers documentation of how the white settlers, with the implicit accord of the Canadian government, murdered thousands of Nuxalk in 1862 with the smallpox virus and colonized the land. — Carole Horst, Variety, 17 June 2026