colonist

[ kol-uh-nist ]

noun

1. an inhabitant of a colony.
2. a member of a colonizing expedition.
3. (often initial capital letter) an inhabitant of the 13 British colonies that became the United States of America.

colonist

/ ˈkɒlənɪst /

noun

1. a person who settles or colonizes an area
2. an inhabitant or member of a colony

Word History and Origins

Origin of colonist¹

An Americanism dating back to 1695–1705; colon(y) + -ist

Example Sentences

Aboriginal communities and scientists are concerned about devastating wildfires raging through forests deprived of that kind of burning since the arrival of European colonists in the 18th and 19th centuries.

From Science Magazine

Some scholars believe the now-offensive term originated from the Algonquin language, which was spoken by many tribes on the East Coast, and originally meant “woman,” but was later corrupted by European colonists.

From Los Angeles Times

The first colonists would encounter a barren landscape without water or breathable atmosphere, bathed in deadly solar and galactic radiation from which Earthbound humans are protected by our planet’s atmosphere and magnetic field.

From Los Angeles Times

Indigenous peoples throughout North America once consumed a variety of insects, a practice European colonists deemed "uncivilized" — a way to "other" nonwhite communities and cultural practices.

From Salon

Independent candidates need to fight like the colonists fought in the Revolutionary War.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• colonizer