colonialism
Americannoun
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the control or governing influence of a nation over a dependent country, territory, or people.
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the system or policy by which a nation maintains or advocates control or influence over a dependent country, territory, or people.
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the state or condition of being colonial.
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an idea, custom, or practice peculiar to a colony.
noun
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Control that is economic and cultural, rather than political, is often called neocolonialism.
A classic example of colonialism is the control of India by Britain from the eighteenth century to 1947.
Other Word Forms
- colonialist noun
- colonialistic adjective
Etymology
Origin of colonialism
First recorded in 1850–55; colonial ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )
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.
President Macron will also address the conference on Friday, having told the World Economic Forum in Davos last month that now was "not a time for new imperialism or new colonialism".
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026
As a young adult in the US, she immersed herself in books on the history of Africa before colonialism, particularly West Africa.
From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026
Through the animal’s point of view, De Los Santos Arias considers the enduring grip of colonialism and the consequences of human irrationality.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025
Frye said this was a legacy of colonialism and apartheid.
From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025
Unlike so many other African states, it had fought colonialism at every turn.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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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.