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 Recommended for European travelers and colonists heading to the East in the late 1800s, quinine was initially added to various alcoholic beverages to mask its bitterness. Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024 While plot details around the mystery remain undisclosed, the film’s title has historical significance for being the only complete word found by European visitors to Roanoke Island, who arrived on site to discover that more than 100 English colonists had disappeared to an unknown fate. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024 The new origin story of the grave marker highlights Jamestown’s position in global transatlantic trade and sheds light on the early colonists’ burial procedures, experts said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024 Not for British colonists in North America, though. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for colonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonist
Noun
  • There was a spike of attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians, killing dozens.
    Mick Krever, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The escalation comes as Secretary-General voiced alarm over rising violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
    Amir Daftari, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • William Arruda is a keynote speaker, author, and personal branding pioneer.
    William Arruda, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
  • In the mid-1960s Ralph opened Lucinda Byre, a boutique selling clothes from multiple brands, including miniskirt pioneer Mary Quant, in the center of Liverpool that later expanded across the North of England.
    Leah Dolan, CNN, 22 Feb. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Colonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonist. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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