Meaning & use
colonization
The action of establishing control over a foreign territory and settling people there.
See it in a sentence
European colonization of the region reshaped its languages, borders, and economies for centuries.
Historians continue to debate the long-term effects of colonization on indigenous communities.
A note on using this word
Colonization is a historically loaded term; in biology it also describes organisms establishing themselves in a new habitat.
Words with a similar meaning
settlementannexation
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
decolonization
Make it your own
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