Meaning & use
colonized
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“colonized” is a form of “colonize”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of colonize: took control of a foreign land and settled people there.
Grammar: Takes an object: Spain colonized the island.
Patterns
- colonized something
- something was colonized by someone
Portugal colonized parts of South America in the sixteenth century.
The island was colonized by settlers from several countries.
Britain colonized large regions of Africa and Asia.
verbtransitivebiology
Past tense and past participle of colonize: moved into a place in large numbers, as animals or plants do.
Grammar: Takes an object: algae colonized the pond.
Patterns
- colonized something
Weeds quickly colonized the empty lot.
Bacteria colonized the wound within days.
Seabirds colonized the cliffs every spring.
adjectivebefore a noun
Describing a place or people that have been taken over and ruled by a foreign power.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: colonized peoples.
Patterns
- colonized peoples
- colonized lands
Colonized peoples often resisted foreign rule.
The writer described life in a colonized country.
Many colonized nations later won independence.
Common combinations
- colonized by Europeans
- The region was colonized by Europeans.
- colonized peoples
- Colonized peoples lost control of their land.
- once colonized
- Once colonized, the area changed quickly.
- recently colonized
- The recently colonized territory grew fast.
- heavily colonized
- The coast was heavily colonized.
Synonyms and how they differ
- settled
- Settled only means people moved in, while colonized adds the idea of ruling the land from a distant power.
- occupied
- Occupied stresses holding a place by force, often temporarily, while colonized implies long-term settlement.
- conquered
- Conquered focuses on defeating by force, whereas colonized focuses on settling and controlling afterward.
Opposites
Word family
- colonize verb
- take over and settle a land
- colony noun
- a territory controlled by another country
- colonization noun
- the act of colonizing
- colonizer noun
- one who colonizes
- colonial adjective
- relating to colonies
Commonly confused: colonized or colonial?
colonized vs colonial
Colonial describes things connected with colonies, while colonized describes a place that has been colonized.
Practice
The island was ____ by settlers in the 1600s.
Choose one answer.
After 'was' and before 'by', a past participle is needed. 'Colonial' is an adjective and does not fit the passive.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “colonized”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.