Meaning & use
colonize
To establish control over a foreign land and settle people there, often displacing or governing the existing population.
See it in a sentence
European powers colonized much of the African continent during the late nineteenth century.
Scientists jokingly discuss how humans might one day colonize a distant planet like Mars.
A note on using this word
In biology, colonize also describes organisms establishing themselves in a new environment, such as bacteria colonizing a wound.
Words with a similar meaning
settleoccupy
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
liberate
Make it your own
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