colonist
noun
Paige Embry 
Usage of Colonist and Colonizer
Colonist and colonizer both have meanings closely tied to the word colonialism in its use referring to domination of a foreign people or area. Colonist, which comes directly from the noun colony, is the more common—and usually more neutral—term. Colonizer, which comes from the verb colonize, is used especially in contexts in which the exploitative nature of colonialism is being discussed or evoked; in phrases like "colonizer mindset/mentality" it implies a benefit from or even active participation in that exploitation.
Examples of colonist in a Sentence
Davis Winkie, USA Today, 27 May 2025
The Afrikaners, descendants of mainly Dutch colonists, left Johannesburg on Sunday night.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 12 May 2025
The act’s most controversial reform, however, was expanding the official boundary of Quebec to the Ohio River Valley, which conflicted with prominent American colonists’ property interests and their hopes of expanding on the Western frontier.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
After a major rebellion at Fort Rosalie in 1729 when the Natchez destroyed French settlements and killed more than 200 colonists, French soldiers defeated the Natchez, killing the remaining natives, deporting them, or selling them into slavery in the Caribbean.
—Amy Bentley, Oc Register, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for colonist
Cite this Entry
“Colonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonist. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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colonist
noun
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