co·lo·nial
kə-ˈlō-nē-əl 
-nyəl
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony
colonial trade
colonial life
a colonial capital
The Haitian Revolution, led by self-liberated enslaved people against the French colonial government, was an early precursor to the abolition movements of the United States.—
Chadd Scott
: having the status of a colony
Chadd Scottcolonial territories
b
: possessing or composed of colonies
Britain's colonial empire
… when the United States became a colonial power, assuming control of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Hawaii …—Peter S. Canellos
Peter S. Canellos2
or less commonly Colonial
: of or relating to a period when an area is being colonized and especially to the period of European colonization in U.S. history between the early 17th century and the late 18th century
in colonial times
: such as
a
: made or prevailing during a colonial period
a town known for its Dutch/French/Spanish colonial architecture
colonial furniture
b
: adapted from or reminiscent of a mode of design from a colonial period
new homes built in the colonial style
3
: forming, existing in, or used by a colony
Though it may look like a tropical plant or colorful rock, coral is a colonial carnivore …—Mark Derr
Mark Derr
plural colonials
1
: a member or inhabitant of a colony
British colonials in India
a rebellion of the colonials
2
a
: a product (such as a coin or stamp) made for use in a colony
b
or Colonial
: a product exhibiting colonial style
especially
: a house built in the neoclassical style of the American colonial period
LaMontagne said the homes will be two-story Colonials with attached garages and about three to four bedrooms. —Mark Hayward
Mark Hayward Examples of colonial in a Sentence
Adjective
The country was a colonial power.
a colonial nation and its colonial empire
The book describes life in Colonial America.
an example of colonial architecture
The port had been very important in colonial times.
Noun
They bought a Colonial on a quiet street.
increasing tension between colonials and the mother country
Recent Examples on the Web
Rance Collins, IndieWire, 12 July 2025
The British Museum has many artifacts in its collection which were plundered during imperial and colonial eras, and are contested.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 11 July 2025
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
Ancient structures and artifacts show that humans have lived around Lake Titicaca since before colonial times and continue to live there today.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for colonial
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Films that decolonize the gaze and propose new paradigms, because the old ones justify colonial narratives and systems of exclusion, whose consequences are bodies silenced, erased, and disappeared into the void of war — never to return.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 12 July 2025
The British Museum has many artifacts in its collection which were plundered during imperial and colonial eras, and are contested.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 11 July 2025
Noun
Where the local militia drilled in colonial times, a symphony now plays on the Fourth of July holiday.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
Ancient structures and artifacts show that humans have lived around Lake Titicaca since before colonial times and continue to live there today.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for colonial
Cite this Entry
“Colonial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonial. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
colonial
1 of 2 adjective
co·lo·nial
kə-ˈlō-nē-əl
-nyəl
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony
2
often capitalized
: of or relating to the original 13 colonies forming the U.S.
3
: forming or existing in a colony
colonial organisms
4
: possessing or composed of colonies
a colonial empire
colonial
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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