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
The Vikings were raiders, pirates, traders, explorers, and colonizers who traveled far beyond their homeland in Scandinavia between the 9th and 11 centuries.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
During the 2002 World Cup, fans across Africa celebrated Senegal’s upset victory over defending champion France, its former colonizer, as a symbol of liberation.
—Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
Following the Revolution, as the United States expanded and more European settlers arrived, their homelands in New York and Massachusetts were taken over by colonizers.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Start by visiting Elmina Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1482.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonizer
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
During the 2002 World Cup, fans across Africa celebrated Senegal’s upset victory over defending champion France, its former colonizer, as a symbol of liberation.
—Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
Following the Revolution, as the United States expanded and more European settlers arrived, their homelands in New York and Massachusetts were taken over by colonizers.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Start by visiting Elmina Castle, the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, founded by Portuguese colonizers in 1482.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colonizer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizer
Noun
-
Much of this influence played a role in what would become the dialect of the South more generally as Scots Irish settlers and their descendants spread into the backcountry of the Upper and, a bit later, the Lowland South.—
Valerie Fridland,
Big Think,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The removal came after the Indian Removal Act was passed and signed by President Andrew Jackson in 1830, as gold was discovered on Cherokee land and white settlers jockeyed for more acreage.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Though ostracized in their time, people who resisted internment are now seen as civil-rights pioneers.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The artist, lawyer and running pioneer unveiled her self-portrait in bronze alongside the Hopkinton Town Green this spring — the first statue of a woman on the historic route to Boston.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That exhibit looks at India through the eyes of colonists and corporations.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Paul Revere’s famous Midnight ride alerted the colonists that British troops (known as Regulars or Redcoats) were on the march to capture military supplies and leaders.—
William Lambers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet, as throngs of people strolled the three-block downtown on a recent April weekend, past American flag streamers, patriotic bunting and red brick colonial buildings, there was scant visible evidence of that polarization.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The sharp drop in mortgage rates to below 3% from mid-2020 to early 2022 enabled folks to pay big numbers for their ranch or colonial and not cut back on dining out or cutting short the trip to Disney World.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizer. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
