colonization

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˌkɑlənɪˈzeɪʃən/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    The process of establishing colonies in a foreign territory, involving settlement and political control over indigenous peoples.; The process by which organisms spread to and establish themselves in a new area or habitat.; The establishment of microorganisms in a host body without necessarily causing disease.

🔗 Details

Word forms

uncountable

Collocations

colonization ofspace colonizationEuropean colonizationcolonization effortswave of colonizationperiod of colonization

Derivatives

colonizecolonizercolonialcolonialismcolonycolonistdecolonizationrecolonizationcolonized

Synonyms

settlementoccupationannexationexpansionsubjugation

Antonyms

decolonizationliberationindependence

Commonly confused

colonialism
EN: 'Colonialism' refers to the ideology, policy, or system of maintaining colonies; 'colonization' refers to the act or process of establishing colonies.
colonisation
EN: 'Colonisation' is simply the British English spelling variant using 's' instead of 'z'; the meaning is identical.

Spelling tips

EN: American English uses 'colonization' (with 'z'), while British English uses 'colonisation' (with 's'). Both are correct in their respective varieties.

💬 Examples

  1. The colonization of the Americas by European powers began in the late 15th century.

  2. The colonization of the volcanic island by plant species took several decades.

  3. Bacterial colonization of the wound was detected before infection set in.