colonial

American  

[kuh-loh-nee-uhl] / kəˈloʊ ni əl /

adjective

1. of, concerning, or pertaining to a colony or colonies.

   the colonial policies of France.

2. of, concerning, or pertaining to colonialism; colonialistic.

3. (often initial capital letter) pertaining to the 13 British colonies that became the United States of America, or to their period.

4. Ecology. forming a colony.

5. (initial capital letter)

   1. noting or pertaining to the styles of architecture, ornament, and furnishings of the British colonies in America in the 17th and 18th centuries, mainly adapted to local materials and demands from prevailing English styles.

   2. noting or pertaining to various imitations of the work of American colonial artisans.

---

noun

1. an inhabitant of a colony.

2. a house in or imitative of the Colonial style.

colonial British  

/ kəˈləʊnɪəl /

adjective

1. of, characteristic of, relating to, possessing, or inhabiting a colony or colonies

2. (often capital) characteristic of or relating to the 13 British colonies that became the United States of America (1776)

3. (often capital) of or relating to the colonies of the British Empire

4. denoting, relating to, or having the style of Neoclassical architecture used in the British colonies in America in the 17th and 18th centuries

5. of or relating to the period of Australian history before Federation (1901)

6. (of organisms such as corals and bryozoans) existing as a colony of polyps

7. (of animals and plants) having become established in a community in a new environment

---

noun

1. a native of a colony

Other Word Forms

• colonially adverb
• noncolonial adjective
• noncolonially adverb
• procolonial adjective
• semicolonial adjective
• semicolonially adverb
• uncolonial adjective

Etymology

Origin of colonial

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80; colony + -al ¹

Example Sentences

The spat is emerging as a source of frustration in Congo, which already holds a historic grudge with its old colonial ruler.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Built in 1395, the former royal palace is often seen as a symbol of Korean resilience through dynastic collapse, colonial rule and pro-democracy protests.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

Though Spain has not taken the kinds of steps some other countries have to reappraise their colonial past, it has indicated its willingness to recognise past harm.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

It was returned to DRC authorities in a coffin during an official ceremony in 2022 in a bid to turn a page on the grim chapter of its colonial past.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Thirty-five-year-old George Washington was riding through his home county in colonial Virginia when he stopped to take part in an estate sale.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis