colonists

plural of colonist
as in settlers
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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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 colonists 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 Hot, wet, insect-ridden, and with a climate that made early colonists exceptionally susceptible to disease, the islands became the center of an idea formulated in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century. Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024 The colonists pleged to remain loyal to Bavaria and the German language and their traditons. Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 2 Dec. 2024 French colonists established Fort Rosalie near present-day Natchez, Mississippi, in 1716 as a trading post and seat of government. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2024 For many Americans, Thanksgiving is a reminder of how Indigenous people saved the first colonists from starvation at Plymouth Rock in 1621. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024 Several centuries ago, the tribes made a series of deals to help end violent conflicts with the colonists. Andrew Sharp, Outdoor Life, 27 Nov. 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 But the story goes well beyond an account of colonists’ friendly encounters with local peoples who provided food and helped colonists survive, says Andrew MacLean, a writer and podcaster who recalls the history of Atlantic Canada. Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024

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“Colonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonists. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.

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