postcolonial

American  

[pohst-kuh-loh-nee-uhl] / ˌpoʊst kəˈloʊ ni əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the period following a state of colonialism.

---

Etymology

Origin of postcolonial

First recorded in 1930–35; post- + colonial

Explanation

Postcolonial describes the time period after Western nations left the nations they colonized and ruled. After the end of British rule, Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first postcolonial leader. The adjective postcolonial can refer to the specific era following the end of a colonial regime, when a powerful empire that's taken over other lands withdraws from them. It's also used for the project of investigating how people and land have been affected by the colonizer, even years later — there are whole genres of postcolonial literature and art, for instance. Post means "after," and colonial comes from the Latin colonia, "settled land."

Example Sentences

Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi and translator Lin King won the International Booker Prize on Tuesday for "Taiwan Travelogue", a playful postcolonial novel with a culinary bent.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

Rebecca has a master’s degree in postcolonial and world literature from the University of St. Andrews, after graduating with double majors in accountancy and English literature from the University of Notre Dame.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Nkanu Nnamdi died at a hospital in Nigeria on Wednesday following a short illness, leaving the family of the acclaimed postcolonial feminist writer "devastated".

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

A graduate of Bennington College, who majored in postcolonial gender studies, Jake is openly gay and from Connecticut.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2024

“I major in queer postcolonial astrology,” one of the performers says.

From Washington Times • Nov. 10, 2023