as in settler
a person who settles in a new region over time the colonists began to sense that they were becoming a people unto themselves

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of colonist Americans generally believe their Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by English colonists. Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 14 Nov. 2024 The video submissions are due Oct. 20 on the theme of the pre-Revolutionary War protests by the colonists against the British due to taxes and laws. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 6 Oct. 2024 The Mi’kmaq taught the colonists their nutritional and medicinal know-how that essentially kept them alive. Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024 Pumpkins were gifted to the colonists at the original Thanksgiving, so having pumpkins on the menu is symbolic of America's origins. Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for colonist 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonist
Noun
  • Sheridan reportedly has a long-running desire to adapt the book that tells the story of the battles between the Comanche tribe and white settlers in America's West.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Due to a lack of hedgehogs, the settlers began using another hibernating mammal: The groundhog.
    Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • If the ambitions of eVTOL pioneers are realized in the U.S., people will be able to hop in an air taxi to get to and from airports serving New York and Los Angeles within the next few years.
    Michael Liedtke, The Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2025
  • In the heart of Pella, a multi-building historical village showcases what life would have been like in the pioneer days, from a replica of a sod house to a blacksmith and a wooden shoe shop.
    Tanvi Chheda, AFAR Media, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Long periods of rule by Portuguese, Dutch, and finally British colonial occupiers were only fully concluded in 1965, when the Maldives became an Islamic sultanate, albeit one not initially included in the British Commonwealth.
    Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 17 Jan. 2025
  • In fact, Americans have been cultivating it since the colonial era, when it was traded on the Philadelphia commodity exchange at the same price as gold.
    Jane Black, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near colonist

Cite this Entry

“Colonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonist. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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