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
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Recent Examples of colonist
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
Malus domestica was introduced to North America by 16th-century explorers and later by colonists.
—arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2024
Their ancestors arrived on the continent some 50,000 years before British colonists yet were marginalized during colonial rule and are not mentioned in Australia’s 123-year-old constitution.
—Reuters, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for colonist 
Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Not for British colonists in North America, though.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Nov. 2024
Malus domestica was introduced to North America by 16th-century explorers and later by colonists.
—arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2024
Their ancestors arrived on the continent some 50,000 years before British colonists yet were marginalized during colonial rule and are not mentioned in Australia’s 123-year-old constitution.
—Reuters, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for colonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonist
Noun
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Below, Weitzel shares some of his favorite archaeological sites across the country, each offering a glimpse into the lives of the people who lived in North America long before European settlers arrived.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
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Eventually, the soldiers are accompanied by antagonistic settlers looking to impose their will through violence.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Visual effects, animation and gaming pioneer Alberto Menache received the Ub Iwerks Award for technical achievement.—
Terry Flores,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2025
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Manifest destiny plays its part, too, as the struggle between enterprising pioneers and tragic, courageous native tribes ignites nostalgia, at least in some, for a time when Americans were unapologetic conquerors.—
Michael M. Rosen,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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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 21 Feb. 2025.
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