Colonies
Britishplural noun
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the subject territories formerly in the British Empire
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history the 13 states forming the original United States of America when they declared their independence (1776). These were Connecticut, North and South Carolina, Delaware, Georgia, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and New Jersey
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Users have pointed out that the American flag decal on the phone’s case does not display the flag properly, showing 11 stripes instead of 13 to represent the Thirteen Colonies.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
Colonies receiving the enriched diet produced up to 15 times more larvae that reached the pupal stage compared with those on standard diets.
From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026
Wall panels remind us of the Townshend Acts, the Tea Act and the Boston Massacre, all seminal events that led the Colonies to eventually break away from Britain.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025
The case involved corruption charges against three San Bernardino County officials and a developer who was a managing director of Rancho Cucamonga-based investor group Colonies Partners.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2025
They won’t even bother to ship you to the Colonies.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
