colonize

American  

[kol-uh-nahyz] / ˈkɒl əˌnaɪz /

especially British, colonise

verb (used with object)

colonized, colonizing

1. 1. (of a nation or government) to claim and forcibly take control of (a territory other than its own), usually sending some of its own people to settle there.

      England colonized Australia.

   2. to move from one’s own country and settle in (such a territory).

      Dutch farmers were among the first Europeans to colonize the river valleys of New Jersey and New York.

2. to be the first settlers in.

   Southern Pacific islanders are thought to have colonized Hawaii around a.d. 450.

3. to compel or induce (people) to settle in an area for economic or political purposes.

   The government made efforts to colonize laborers and their families in areas suitable for growing rice.

4. Biology. (of a species of plant or animal) to move or be transported to (a new habitat) and seek to become established there.

   Arthropods were the first animal species to colonize land around 450 million years ago.

5. Microbiology, Medicine/Medical. (of a microbe) to multiply on or in (another organism), especially without causing infection or disease.

   Researchers attempted to get the bacteria in a probiotic to successfully colonize the intestines of 23 volunteers.

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verb (used without object)

colonized, colonizing

1. to take control of or settle in territories other than one’s own.

   Many other European powers were colonizing during the modern period besides France.

   When the British colonized in Australia, the basic rights of Aboriginals were taken away.

colonize British  

/ ˈkɒləˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to send colonists to or establish a colony in (an area)

2. to settle in (an area) as colonists

3. (tr) to transform (a community) into a colony

4. (of plants and animals) to become established in (a new environment)

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Other Word Forms

• colonizability noun
• colonizable adjective
• colonization noun
• colonizationist noun
• colonizer noun
• intercolonization noun
• intercolonize verb
• recolonization noun
• recolonize verb (used with object)
• uncolonize verb (used with object)
• well-colonized adjective

Etymology

Origin of colonize

First recorded in 1615–25; colon(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

The discovery could help explain how disease causing microbes manage to colonize medical devices, wounds, and food processing equipment.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

The company is expected to raise tens of billions of dollars in an offering to finance plans to launch data centers in space and colonize the moon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

In his memo, Musk advertised big plans for SpaceX and Starship, the mega-rocket at the center of his plans to colonize Mars and launch dozens of satellites at a time.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 2, 2026

SpaceX is unlikely to attempt a Mars mission in 2026 after all, according to CEO Elon Musk, marking a setback in his plans to colonize the planet.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026

Austronesians thus had thousands of years in which to colonize New Guinea’s interior and its southern coast from nearby bases, but they never did so.

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

Related Words

• conquer