Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

colonia

American  
[kuh-loh-nee-uh, -lohn-yuh, kaw-law-nyah] / kəˈloʊ ni ə, -ˈloʊn jə, kɔˈlɔ njɑ /

noun

  • colonias
    plural
  1. (in the southwestern U.S.) a city neighborhood or a rural settlement inhabited predominantly by Mexicans or Mexican Americans.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of colonia

< Mexican Spanish: newly built or settled district of a city; Spanish: plantation, colony

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.

See Examples For:

At first, moving from the nearby city of Mission to a colonia seemed like an opportunity to gain a toehold on the real estate ladder.

From New York Times Jul. 29, 2023

The interiors of the house he grew up in had been remodeled beyond recognition, so he settled for a similar home in a nearby colonia.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 3, 2019

When a storm in late May flooded the Indian Hills colonia east of McAllen, the water spilled under doorways and began to rise.

From The Guardian Nov. 19, 2018

More than 40 percent of colonia residents live below the poverty line, and 20 percent live at the line, according to the report.

From Scientific American Apr. 23, 2018

Such a colonia agricola for Roman lads, outside the Flaminian gate, was founded by a visitor who has since become the wife of an Italian well known for similar enterprise in Italian Africa.

From Rome by Hope Malleson

The immigrant population in the colonias has limited English proficiency, health literacy levels, and income, and lower levels of formal education.

From Science Daily Apr. 26, 2024

Today, an estimated 840,000 people live in colonias, in housing ranging from modern-looking suburban houses to partially built shacks.

From New York Times Jul. 29, 2023

The problem hits hard in Appalachia, as well as in central Mississippi and Alabama, the colonias along the Texas-Mexico border, the Navajo Nation in the Southwest, and California’s Central Valley.

From Washington Post Jun. 27, 2021

Father explained: It was our word, colonias, the one we sometimes used for neighborhoods, and Tía Rosa still said it.

From Slate Dec. 29, 2020

Addresses in Mexico are very hard to find, and workers on this side of the border often live in isolated colonias scattered over a huge geographical area.

From Salon Nov. 27, 2020

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training