as in settler
a person who settles in a new region
the first colonizers of Easter Island must have faced untold challenges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 colonizer
That’s largely because, in recent centuries, waves of colonizers globally discouraged or even outlawed the teaching and learning of Indigenous languages — eradication that researchers and technologists like Boyer, as well as organizations like UNESCO, are now working to undo.
—
Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
The Sámi and Shawnee often viewed their relationship with the outside powers differently from how the colonizers saw things.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 30 Aug. 2025
Puerto Rico served as an entry point to the Americas for Spanish colonizers, who, as early as the 16th century, profited off sugarcane and tobacco grown there.
—Rebecca L. Rhoades, Saveur, 20 Aug. 2025
Recently it was renamed the Battle of Fort Dearborn, acknowledging that both sides committed atrocities in the centuries-long struggle between Native Americans and European colonizers for control of what became the United States.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colonizer
Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
The Sámi and Shawnee often viewed their relationship with the outside powers differently from how the colonizers saw things.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 30 Aug. 2025
Puerto Rico served as an entry point to the Americas for Spanish colonizers, who, as early as the 16th century, profited off sugarcane and tobacco grown there.
—Rebecca L. Rhoades, Saveur, 20 Aug. 2025
Recently it was renamed the Battle of Fort Dearborn, acknowledging that both sides committed atrocities in the centuries-long struggle between Native Americans and European colonizers for control of what became the United States.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colonizer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizer
Noun
-
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
-
The art will encompass the stories of Black people who journeyed north to escape slavery and the early Westfield settlers who ran safehouses that harbored them during their travels.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
France and Nordic countries, pioneers in subsidized childcare and paid parental leave, maintain relatively higher fertility than peers.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
French smart telescope pioneer Vaonis helps quench my thirst with a special edition of its flagship that puts the inner workings on view.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
The black goo helped bring about the end of the Engineers; the xenomorphs, the end of various colonist human groups; and now the Lost Boys are wrenching the world from their adult overlords.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Danish colonial authority – now focused mainly on foreign, defense and economic policy – is facing an unprecedented challenge, and the Scandinavian kingdom is at pains to underline and maintain its military control.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Grosse Pointe's housing stock is dominated by single-family homes, from Tudors and colonials to classic bungalows.—
Brendel Clark,
Freep.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colonizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizer. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share