colonizers

plural of colonizer
as in settlers
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 colonizers Smallpox began decimating Indigenous populations shortly after European colonizers arrived in the Americas during the late 15th century. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 Co-founder and tour guide Hannah Michelle Brower says the tour will be a historical journey exploring passenger pigeons and the Lenape people, as well as looking at how the arrival of European colonizers accelerated commercial exploitation and ultimately contributed to the extinction of the bird. Terra Sullivan, CBS News, 29 June 2026 Dark visions and secrets quickly come to light, as Mārama grapples with her heritage in the shadow of colonizers. William Earl, Variety, 26 June 2026 European colonizers in lands that became the United States did link church and state. Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 Later, colonizers cut down the trees to plant pineapple and sugarcane; the land dried out and became vulnerable to fire. Julie Orringer, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026 In the past, thousands of the indigenous Great Andamanese people living in the region died after contact with British colonizers led to an epidemic of measles and syphilis. Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 7 June 2026 The language first reached the continent in the early twentieth century and gained popularity during the postcolonial era as a politically neutral replacement for the still-persistent languages of European colonizers. Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026 Stressing the omnipresent influence of the Portuguese colonizers, chorizo cooks with red kidney beans and black-eyed peas in a spunky chile-vinegar tomato sauce in a Goan adaptation of Brazilian feijoada. Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizers
Noun
  • As Jesuit missions and Spanish colonization took over the continent in the 16th century, mate was popularized across other countries and between settlers and natives alike to become the region’s largest export.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • During the incident, villagers came out of their homes to confront the settlers and a standoff ensued, with video appearing to show one of the Palestinians grabbing a settler’s weapon.
    Reuters, NBC news, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • Hanging from the ceiling is a model of the Wright brothers’ first production airplane — the aviation pioneers were from nearby Dayton and an inspiration for Armstrong.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Nobu was one of the pioneers in promoting the concept of family sharing at dinner, and the menu encourages guests to do so.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Under British rule, mail wasn’t private; postmasters could open letters to spy on colonists.
    Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 July 2026
  • Religious symbols are best displayed in non-governmental spaces given that America was formed by colonists who fled England to seek freedom of religion.
    Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Colonizers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizers. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster