COLONIZED Synonyms: 8 Similar and Opposite Words

colonized

verb

past tense of colonize

as in populated

to supply with inhabitants believes that someday humans will be sent to colonize Mars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 colonized In recent decades, the government of the Netherlands — which colonized Indonesia from the 1600s-1900s — has been in the process of repatriating sculptures, reliefs, and other items to the arts and culture administration in Java. — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 The vanishing New York chronicled in the blogs of the mid-aughts has mostly vanished, NYU has colonized large swaths of downtown, and a populace struggling to afford the crushing price of housing has arisen in its wake. — David Freedlander, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026 The Venetians came and colonized 500 years ago, and many vestiges of our Venetian past are still visible, not just in the architecture and in our food. — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026 In Africa, English is an official language in many countries that were colonized by Great Britain and even in some that were not. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Sep. 2026 Like many places in former colonial territories, Hempstead’s name refers back to the homeland of those who colonized and settled in the region. — Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 9 Sep. 2026 Rumors of Japan’s conversion to Islam Unlike much of Asia, Japan was never colonized. — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 No matter that the Brits, like the Bund, were battling Hitler—the Bundists knew that their allies were the colonized, marginal, and exploited. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026 The tiny coral limestone atoll was colonized by Germany and later administered by Australia before becoming an independent republic in 1968. — Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonized

Verb

The area is sparsely populated with private estates set atop hills or within canyons, making firefighting access difficult.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Early on, Sakurai exploits the inherent absurdity of telling a story populated by so many ludicrous characters.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of populated

Verb

His white room represented his meticulous palette and, quite possibly, a desire for control over Lina, who inhabited it.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Don told me some interesting stories about the Mokies, a civilization of cliff dwellers who long ago inhabited the area.

— Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of inhabited

Browse Nearby Words

colonize

colonized

colonizer

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Colonized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonized. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of colonized

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes