1
as in plantation
a settlement in a new country or region the early history of New York City when it was a Dutch colony

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2
as in community
a group of people with a common interest living in one place New Hampshire's MacDowell colony was founded as a summer residence for writers and composers

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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 colony Alongside increasing assaults on indigenous peoples, the next few years saw mass Spanish expeditions and the establishment of new colonies. Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 Bleach also does not deal with roots of mold colonies growing on porous surfaces. Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025 Then, heat waves in 2024 devastated some northern colonies that had demonstrated more resilience. Evan Bush, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025 Photos show the colony from afar and one spider up close. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for colony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colony
Noun
  • The Spanish subjugated and enslaved the indigenous population of the Canaries—the Guanches—exporting some of them to Madeira or Europe, while others were forced to labor on Canarian sugar plantations.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Keswick is, of course, full of large estates; many were plantations in the 18th century, but have since been transformed.
    Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Nothing against the place, but there cannot be many cities, outside of Europe, where the local football community has been so well served in recent years.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • There’s community education if the state is going to censor your education.
    Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Folsom was once a bustling outpost where Gold Rush miners and merchants converged.
    David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Until a few weeks ago, however, the Chiefs’ outpost inside SubTropolis flew largely under the radar, serving primarily as a depository for historical documents, films, trophies, uniforms and photos.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025

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“Colony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colony. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

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