colonize

[ kol-uh-nahyz ]
See synonyms for: colonizecolonizedcolonizingcolonization on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),col·o·nized, col·o·niz·ing.
    • (of a nation or government) to claim and forcibly take control of (a territory other than its own), usually sending some of its own people to settle there: England colonized Australia.

    • to move from one’s own country and settle in (such a territory): Dutch farmers were among the first Europeans to colonize the river valleys of New Jersey and New York.

  1. to be the first settlers in: Southern Pacific islanders are thought to have colonized Hawaii around a.d. 450.

  1. to compel or induce (people) to settle in an area for economic or political purposes:The government made efforts to colonize laborers and their families in areas suitable for growing rice.

  2. Biology. (of a species of plant or animal) to move or be transported to (a new habitat) and seek to become established there: Arthropods were the first animal species to colonize land around 450 million years ago.

  3. Microbiology, Medicine/Medical. (of a microbe) to multiply on or in (another organism), especially without causing infection or disease: Researchers attempted to get the bacteria in a probiotic to successfully colonize the intestines of 23 volunteers.

verb (used without object),col·o·nized, col·o·niz·ing.
  1. to take control of or settle in territories other than one’s own: Many other European powers were colonizing during the modern period besides France.When the British colonized in Australia, the basic rights of Aboriginals were taken away.

Origin of colonize

1
First recorded in 1615–25; colon(y) + -ize
  • Also especially British, col·o·nise .

Other words from colonize

  • col·o·niz·a·ble, adjective
  • col·o·niz·a·bil·i·ty [kol-uh-nahy-zuh-bil-i-tee], /ˌkɒl əˌnaɪ zəˈbɪl ɪ ti/, noun
  • col·o·ni·za·tion [kol-uh-nahy-zey-shuhn], /ˌkɒl ə naɪˈzeɪ ʃən/, noun
  • col·o·ni·za·tion·ist, noun
  • col·o·niz·er, noun
  • in·ter·col·o·ni·za·tion, noun
  • in·ter·col·o·nize, verb, in·ter·col·o·nized, in·ter·col·o·niz·ing.
  • re·col·o·ni·za·tion, noun
  • re·col·o·nize, verb (used with object), re·col·o·nized, re·col·o·niz·ing.
  • un·col·o·nize, verb (used with object), un·col·o·nized, un·col·o·niz·ing.
  • well-col·o·nized, adjective

Words Nearby colonize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use colonize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for colonize

colonize

colonise

/ (ˈkɒləˌnaɪz) /


verb
  1. to send colonists to or establish a colony in (an area)

  2. to settle in (an area) as colonists

  1. (tr) to transform (a community) into a colony

  2. (of plants and animals) to become established in (a new environment)

Derived forms of colonize

  • colonizable or colonisable, adjective
  • colonization or colonisation, noun
  • colonizer or coloniser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012