colonizer

noun

col·​o·​niz·​er ˈkä-lə-ˌnī-zər 

variants also British coloniser

plural colonizers

: one that colonizes : an individual or entity that establishes a colony or colonies: such as

a

: a nation or state that takes control of a people or area as an extension of state power

the country's relationship with its former colonizer

b

see usage paragraph below : a person who migrates to and settles in a foreign area as part of a colony

Almost all early explorers and colonizers marveled at the natural abundance they found in the Americas, a biodiversity at odds with the deforestation and extinctions that the Europeans had already wrought in most of their own continent.

—Alan Taylor

Lemur was the Roman name for the spirits of the dead. … The lemurs of Madagascar, an island of southeastern Africa, were named by French colonizers.

—International Wildlife

c(1)

biology : an organism that establishes a population in a new area or habitat

… debate among scientists trying to determine how tube worms, clams and other colonizers of hydrothermal vents and cold seeps arrive and persist in their ephemeral habitats.

—Julie Zeidner Russo

Seaweeds tend to be the first colonizers on shorelines …

—Mark Carwardine

(2)

medical : a microorganism that multiplies in or on a host or an inanimate object or surface

Identification of the typical flora in the postoperative ethmoid sinus cavity, as well as a determination of the type of bacteria expected to be colonizers rather than pathogens, would also assist the physician in selecting an appropriate antibiotic.

—Neil Bhattacharyya and Harsha V. Gopal

Unnoticed biofilm colonizers are present in ventilator connectors and humidifiers, which may not be removed by routine methods.

—Bipassa Chakraborty et al.

Usage of Colonist and Colonizer

Colonist and colonizer both have meanings closely tied to the word colonialism in its use referring to domination of a foreign people or area. Colonist, which comes directly from the noun colony, is the more common—and usually more neutral—term. Colonizer, which comes from the verb colonize, is used especially in contexts in which the exploitative nature of colonialism is being discussed or evoked; in phrases like "colonizer mindset/mentality" it implies a benefit from or even active participation in that exploitation.

Synonyms

• colonial
• colonist
• frontiersman
• homesteader
• pioneer
• settler

Examples of colonizer in a Sentence

the first colonizers of Easter Island must have faced untold challenges

Recent Examples on the Web

In some places, particularly those with abundant natural resources and diseases that made life inhospitable for colonizers, Europeans focused on extracting wealth and exploiting native populations as labor. —Neil Irwin, Axios, 14 Oct. 2024

From Belize to Chile, a fascinating blend of Indigenous, European colonizer, and more recent immigrant cultures shape everything from cuisine to architecture. —Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2024

In others, like, the U.S., Canada, and Australia, European colonizers built systems of property rights, independent courts, and other institutions that make societies richer over time. —Neil Irwin, Axios, 14 Oct. 2024

But some feel the term ignores the region's strong Indigenous and African heritage and connects them too closely with their European colonizers. —Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined above