English Dictionary | Thesaurus | Translator | COBUILD Grammar Patterns | Scrabble | Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
| Sign Up | Log In
 
English
Menu
English Dictionary Thesaurus Translator Grammar Scrabble Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
Sign Up Log In

Definition of 'colonize'

Word Frequency

colonize

(kɒlənaɪz )
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense colonizes , present participle colonizing , past tense, past participle colonized regional note:   in BRIT, also use colonise
1. verb
If people colonize a foreign country, they go to live there and take control of it.
The first British attempt to colonize Ireland was in the twelfth century. [VERB noun]
Liberia was never colonised by the European powers. [VERB noun]
For more than 400 years, we were a colonized people. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: settle, populate, put down roots in, people   More Synonyms of colonize
colonizerWord forms: plural colonizers  countable noun [usually plural]
To the former Belgian colonizers, Rwanda was a paradise.
colonization (kɒlənaɪzeɪʃən )  uncountable noun [usually with supplement]
...the European colonization of America.
2. verb
When large numbers of animals colonize a place, they go to live there and make it their home.
Toads are colonising the whole place. [VERB noun]
3. verb [usually passive]
When an area is colonized by a type of plant, the plant grows there in large amounts.
The area was then colonized by scrub. [be VERB-ed + by]
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Video: pronunciation of 'colonize'

Word Frequency

colonize in British

or colonise (ˈkɒləˌnaɪz )
verb
1. 
to send colonists to or establish a colony in (an area)
2. 
to settle in (an area) as colonists
3. (transitive)
to transform (a community) into a colony
4. 
(of plants and animals) to become established in (a new environment)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
colonizable (ˈcoloˌnizable) or colonisable (ˈcoloˌnisable)
  adjective
colonization (ˌcoloniˈzation) or colonisation (ˌcoloniˈsation)
  noun
colonizer (ˈcoloˌnizer) or coloniser (ˈcoloˌniser)
  noun
Word Frequency

colonize in American

(ˈkɑləˌnaɪz ; kälˈənīzˌ)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈcoloˌnized or ˈcoloˌnizing
1. 
to found or establish a colony or colonies in
2. 
to settle (persons) in a colony
3.  US
to place (voters) illegally in (a district) so as to influence an election
verb intransitive
4. 
to found or establish a colony or colonies
5. 
to settle in a colony
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
colonization (ˌcoloniˈzation)
  noun
colonizer (ˈcoloˌnizer)
  noun

Trends of 'colonize'

Used Occasionally. colonize is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

View usage for:

Translations for 'colonize'

British English: colonize VERB
If people colonize a foreign country, they go to live there and take control of it.
The first British attempt to colonize Ireland was in the twelfth century.
  • American English: colonize
  • Brazilian Portuguese: colonizar
  • Chinese: 把…变为殖民地
  • European Spanish: colonizar
  • French: coloniser
  • German: kolonisieren
  • Italian: colonizzare
  • Japanese: 植民地にする
  • Korean: 식민지로 만들다
  • European Portuguese: colonizar
  • Spanish: colonizar

Translate your text for free

Nearby words of 'colonize'

  • colonist
  • colonitis
  • colonizationist
  • colonize
  • colonized
  • colonnade
  • colonnaded

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'C'

Source

Definition of colonize from the Collins English Dictionary

The comma ( , )

The comma marks a short pause between elements in a sentence. Separating main clauses Main clauses that are joined together with and or but do not normally have a comma before the conjunction unles...
Read more about 'The comma (, )'
Word of the day:
nanook
the polar bear
See full definition
Apr 26, 2018
Take better control of your finances with these simple steps
Do you find yourself living paycheque to paycheque? Dr Peter Brooks offers his advice to make that money last
Read more
The etymology behind 4 eggs-ellent Springtime words
We’ve explored the diverse etymology of 4 eggs-ellent words associated with spring.
Read more
Up Lit, Alexa Laugh & Meet Me at McDonald’s Hair: March’s Words In The News
Catch up on the latest words in the news this March with Robert Groves.
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Scrabble score for 'colonize': 19
Latest Word Submissions
courioglot Apr 25, 2018
breakout [sense] Apr 25, 2018
upscale [sense] Apr 25, 2018
Roblox Apr 23, 2018
kill em with kind... Apr 23, 2018
Submit View More
Browse the English Dictionary
  • #
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
View all dictionaries...
  • View more
  • API
  • B2B Partnerships
  • Advertising
  • Word Banks
  • Collins COBUILD
  • Collins ELT
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact us
  • Languages
  • English
  • Thesaurus
  • Grammar
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Chinese
  • Portuguese
  • Hindi
  • Word Lists
  • Word of the Year
  • Scrabble
  • COBUILD Anniversary
© Collins 2018