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
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
Seeing Pocahontas poised on a chair, wearing an elegant hat and holding a quill pen, the English had assumed that Native Americans would embrace the colonizers’ ways.
—
Peter C. Mancall,
The Conversation,
25 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
To early European colonizers, sassafras appeared to be a medical miracle.
—
Kari Traylor,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2026
Angola’s Portuguese colonizers were emboldened by 15th-century directives from the Vatican that authorized them to enslave non-Christians.
—
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
According to the research, Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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
Seeing Pocahontas poised on a chair, wearing an elegant hat and holding a quill pen, the English had assumed that Native Americans would embrace the colonizers’ ways.
—
Peter C. Mancall,
The Conversation,
25 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
To early European colonizers, sassafras appeared to be a medical miracle.
—
Kari Traylor,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2026
Angola’s Portuguese colonizers were emboldened by 15th-century directives from the Vatican that authorized them to enslave non-Christians.
—
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
According to the research, Hawaiian leaf-roller moths are among the most successful long-distance colonizers of any native Hawaiian animals.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonizers
Noun
-
The disagreement reflected broader frustrations among many frontier settlers.
-
Fossils dating back to the Pleistocene Age were found at this incredible site, which got its name from early settlers who thought the steam emanating from the underground space looked like smoke rising from hell.
Noun
-
The whole opening of the film pays homage to those pioneers of cinema.
-
Samuel says every time a student walks in, they're reminded of the legacy of great Black scientific and technological pioneers — historic men and women too often not recognized.
Noun
-
After all, what could the specific complaints of colonists in 1776 have to do with 2026?
-
Competition over land and other resources frequently contributed to conflict between colonists and Native Americans.
Cite this Entry
“Colonizers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonizers. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
