colony

noun

ˈkä-lə-nē How to pronounce colony (audio)
Definition of colonynext
1
as in plantation
a settlement in a new country or region the early history of New York City when it was a Dutch colony

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in community
a group of people with a common interest living in one place New Hampshire's MacDowell colony was founded as a summer residence for writers and composers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 colony The colony, however, had revolted against his brothers, prompting Spanish authorities to send a new governor to take over. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 The island is Britain’s oldest colony after Bermuda, having received its charter in 1659 during the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell’s son Richard. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 Oct. 2026 In 1867, the British government united its North American colonies to form the Canadian Confederation, in part to deter Washington from invading Canada in retaliation for London’s assistance to the Confederacy during the Civil War. — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026 An uninhabited volcanic island in the Southern Ocean used to be home to the largest penguin colony in the world — but not anymore. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for colony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colony
  1. plantation
  2. community
  3. outpost
Noun
  • The trees are the legacy of coconut plantations established more than a century ago.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Among those rescued were a female orangutan known as Mama Man and her infant, Man, who had been monitored for months in a small forest patch surrounded by plantations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of plantation
Noun
  • Learning from those conversations and becoming part of a large community expands the scope of what is possible is Mahama’s practice.
    — Gameli Hamelo, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Rowling has been staunchly critical of transgender rights activists, funding legal efforts to protect women’s rights and penning X/Twitter posts that are considered to be attacks by the trans community.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of community
Noun
  • The Binyamin Regional Council, an Israeli governmental body responsible for settlements in the area of the clashes, said the Palestinian Authority had sent activists to deliberately provoke residents of the Israeli settlement outpost near Abu Falah.
    — Dov Lieber, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Amid the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, Samuel Gui Yang has created a quiet alcove as the Chinese brand’s first retail outpost.
    — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of outpost

Browse Nearby Words

colonnades
colony
colophon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on colony

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about colony

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