colonies

plural of colony
1
as in plantations
a settlement in a new country or region the early history of New York City when it was a Dutch colony

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in communities
a group of people with a common interest living in one place New Hampshire's MacDowell colony was founded as a summer residence for writers and composers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples 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 colonies In the 1600s, the Alkmaar market traded millions of pounds of cheese, exporting it throughout Europe and European colonies. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024 In 2021, state lawmakers declared closed colonies inhumane because the animals are held captive. Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024 California vowed to shut down colonies where hundreds of captive dogs supply blood for veterinary care. Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024 Wading bird colonies have returned to the Kissimmee River floodplain. Rebecca Blackwell, Sun Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024 The island also supports large seabird colonies and is designated as an Important Bird Area. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Dec. 2024 The hornet is a threat to the honeybee and other insects, with the ability to kill entire honeybee colonies in 90 minuets. James Powel, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024 About 50% of colonies and millions of bees die each year from a variety of ailments, devastating numbers for beekeepers. Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 Every winter on average about 18% of colonies are lost, according to a 2020 study from 37 countries. Russell Contreras, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonies
Noun
  • This nearly 200-mile network of hiking routes snakes its way through Sri Lanka’s highlands, including tea plantations, colonial estates, villages, holy shrines, and forests brimming with biodiversity.
    Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025
  • From Washington, he was taken first to New Orleans, then to multiple plantations in central Louisiana.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Build communities around your business to increase customer engagement and loyalty.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Even the protections that preserve the park where de la Torre works contain exceptions for oil companies and Indigenous communities, and wildlife hunting is still rampant.
    Jessica Camille Aguirre, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Not only are these outposts designed to be where vehicles charge and families unwind and explore, they are integrated as parts of communities.
    George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Yet the outposts were mere dots on hilltops, and the settler movement’s leaders and government backers feared that the settlement project still lacked control of the countryside.
    Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Colonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonies. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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