colonist

[kol-uh-nist]

noun

1. an inhabitant of a colony.

2. a member of a colonizing expedition.

3. (often initial capital letter),  an inhabitant of the 13 British colonies that became the United States of America.

colonist

/ ˈkɒlənɪst /

noun

1. a person who settles or colonizes an area

2. an inhabitant or member of a colony

Word History and Origins

Origin of colonist¹

An Americanism dating back to 1695–1705; colon(y) + -ist

Example Sentences

Students of history will note that one of the reasons why the American colonies became the United States was because colonists got tired of King George III arbitrarily prosecuting those who disagreed with him.

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The ships were loaded with guns and other munitions, gold, silver, foodstuffs, livestock, and nearly a thousand sailors and Protestant colonists called Huguenots seeking freedom in the New World.

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Together, they persuasively built that riveting argument that the American Revolution was not a simple battle between American colonists and British redcoats.

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While the Patriots, colonists seeking an independent America, rhapsodized about freedom, the British actually offered it to enslaved Black people, successfully recruiting many to fight for the Loyalists, colonists seeking to remain British subjects.

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Actually, datura grows naturally in the U.S. and was well known to early American colonists.

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Related Words

• colonizer