English Explanatory Dictionary

colonize

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To settle (a place) with colonists, and hence make (a place) into a colony.
  2. To settle among and establish control over (the indigenous people of an area).
  3. To begin a colony or colonies.
  4. To intrude into and take over (the autonomy, experience, social movement, etc, of a less powerful person or group); to commandeer or appropriate.

Pronunciation

/ˈkɑlənaɪz/ /ˈkɒlənaɪz/ /ˈkɔlənɑjz/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-colonize.wav

Word forms

colonize colonizes colonizing colonized colonise

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁- Proto-Indo-European *kʷélh₁-e-ti Proto-Italic *kʷelō Latin colō Latin colōnus Latin colōniader. Middle English colane English colony Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English colonize From colony + -ize.

Related words

colonial colonialism colonist colony

Derived words

colonizable colonization colonizee colonizer decolonize hypercolonize monocolonize neo-colonize noncolonized precolonized recolonize self-colonize uncolonize uncolonized
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