Definition

1. Noun:
   • A policy or practice of political and economic control over another country or territory: "Colonialism" refers to the system where a powerful nation establishes and maintains colonies in distant territories, exercising authority over them.
   • The exploitation of a weaker country by a stronger one: It specifically involves using the weaker country's resources, labor, and markets to strengthen and enrich the colonial power.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The history of Africa is deeply marked by European colonialism.
  • The economic effects of colonialism are still felt in many former colonies today.
  • Scholars debate the long-term cultural impacts of colonialism.

Advanced Usage

• "Legacy of colonialism": The enduring social, economic, and political consequences left behind after a colonial period ends.

  • The country struggles with the legacy of colonialism, including arbitrary borders and economic dependency.

• "Settler colonialism": A specific form where the colonizing power sends its own people to permanently settle and displace the indigenous population.

  • The history of Australia is an example of settler colonialism.

• "Internal colonialism": A concept describing how a dominant group within a country exploits and subordinates minority groups in a manner similar to classic colonialism.

  • Some theorists have used the term internal colonialism to describe certain domestic power structures.

Variants and Related Words

• Colonial (adj): Relating to or characteristic of a colony or colonialism.

  • The colonial administration imposed new laws.

• Colonize (v): To establish control over a people or area, especially by sending settlers.

  • Several European nations sought to colonize the Americas.

• Colonist (n): A person who settles in a new colony.

  • The colonists built a settlement on the coast.

• Postcolonial (adj): Occurring or existing after the end of colonial rule.

  • Postcolonial literature often examines themes of identity and independence.

Synonyms

• Imperialism: A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force, often overlapping with colonialism.
• Domination: Exercise of control or influence over someone or something.
• Exploitation: The action of making use of and benefiting from resources, often unfairly.

Related Phrases

• "Decolonization": The process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country.

  • The mid-20th century was a major period of decolonization.

• "Neocolonialism": The use of economic, political, or cultural pressure to influence or control a former colony or other developing countries, instead of direct military or political control.

  • Critics argue that international debt can be a tool of neocolonialism.

Noun

1. exploitation by a stronger country of weaker one; the use of the weaker country's resources to strengthen and enrich the stronger country