as in settler
a person who settles in a new region
the first colonizers of Easter Island must have faced untold challenges
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Recent Examples of colonizer
In the Seventies, he was mocked as a Vegas has-been in a jumpsuit; in the Eighties, as a cultural colonizer.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
The show traces Hawaii's history, from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the missionary colonizers publicly banning hula, culminating with the cultural practice once again being celebrated in the islands.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Over the ensuing decades, periodic conflicts pitted Indigenous peoples of various pueblos against the colonizers.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
After 15 years, Spanish troops dispersed the settlement—which had grown to 4,000, and had its own cavalry—but subsequent maroon groups forced colonizers to sign treaties with them.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonizer
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
The show traces Hawaii's history, from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the missionary colonizers publicly banning hula, culminating with the cultural practice once again being celebrated in the islands.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Over the ensuing decades, periodic conflicts pitted Indigenous peoples of various pueblos against the colonizers.
—Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
After 15 years, Spanish troops dispersed the settlement—which had grown to 4,000, and had its own cavalry—but subsequent maroon groups forced colonizers to sign treaties with them.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonizer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizer
Noun
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The area was later named in his honor, as more settlers moved in.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
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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
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Embrace the slightly dystopian vibe and buy a bag of pellets from one of the old-timey pioneer stores to hand-feed the furry descendants.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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The 1986 season boasted rock ‘n’ roll pioneers Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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The restaurant is named after the English word for bangla or a single-story home, coined during India’s colonial past to indicate a particular style of house that included spacious verandahs, overhanging roofs, and large gardens.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
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Sears catalogued colonial and craftsman houses that still stand across Southern California cities including Monrovia and Placentia.—
Amancai Biraben,
Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizer. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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