colonization

American  

[kahl-uhn-iz-ay-shuhn, -ahyz-] / ˌkɑl ən ɪzˈeɪ ʃən, -aɪz- /

noun

plural

colonizations

1. the act, on the part of a nation or government, of claiming and forcibly taking control of territory other than its own, usually sending or allowing its own people to settle there.

2. the act of compelling or inducing people to settle in a particular area for economic or political purposes.

3. Biology. the spreading of a species into a new habitat.

4. Microbiology. the multiplication of a microbe in or on another organism, usually without causing infection or disease.

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colonization Scientific  

/ kŏl′ə-nĭ-zā′shən /

1. The spreading of a species into a new habitat. For example, flying insects and birds are often the first animal species to initiate colonization of barren islands formed by vulcanism or falling water levels. The first plant species to colonize such islands are often transported there as airborne seeds or through the droppings of birds.

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Other Word Forms

• anti-colonization adjective
• co-colonization noun
• colonizationist noun
• decolonization noun
• neo-colonization noun
• non-colonization noun
• post-colonization adjective
• pre-colonization adjective
• pro-colonization adjective
• recolonization noun
• self-colonization noun
• semi-colonization noun

Explanation

Colonization is the act of setting up a colony away from one's place of origin. Remember when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock? That was the beginning of a period of colonization. You may have heard of an ant colony, which is a community of ants that decided to set up shop in a particular place; this is an example of ant colonization. With humans, colonization is sometimes seen as a negative act because it tends to involve an invading culture establishing political control over an indigenous population (the people living there before the arrival of the settlers).

Example Sentences

While NASA’s goal is to establish more of an outpost dedicated to expanding the reach of the U.S., others are planning something straight out of the works of Andy Weir or Robert Heinlein: colonization.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The authors add, "Escherichia coli Nissle 1917's tumor colonization synergizes with Romidepsin's anticancer activity to form a dual-action cancer therapy."

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

In 1823, President James Monroe declared the Western Hemisphere off limits to European colonization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 2026

Over 10 years of high-resolution underwater camera footage from ONC failed to capture any zombie worm colonization.

From Science Daily • Dec. 28, 2025

Even their colonization of North New Guinea’s coastal fringe was more linguistic than genetic: all northern coastal peoples remained predominantly New Guineans in their genes.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond