Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who settles in a new colony: A "colonist" is a person who goes to live in and help establish a new settlement or colony, often in a distant land.
   • A person who moves into a new country: This term can also refer to someone who migrates to a new country to establish a permanent home, especially as part of a group.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The early American colonists faced many hardships during their first winter.
  • She is researching the lives of the original colonists who arrived on the island.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The term "colonist" is often used in historical contexts to describe the original European settlers in places like North America, Australia, or Africa.
  • The museum exhibit details the journey of the first colonists to this region.
• Modern/Figurative Use: It can be used more broadly to describe pioneers or founders in any new venture or field.
  • He was among the intellectual colonists who shaped the new field of digital ethics.

Variants and Related Words

• Colonial (adj): Relating to or characteristic of a colony or colonists.
  • The town has many well-preserved colonial buildings.
• Colonize (verb): To establish a colony in (a place) or to settle among and establish control over the indigenous people of an area.
  • Several European powers sought to colonize parts of Africa.
• Colonizer (noun): A person who colonizes or helps establish a colony. (Often used interchangeably with "colonist," but can carry a stronger implication of establishing control.)
  • The statue of the colonizer was removed from the public square.

Synonyms

• Settler: A person who settles in an area, especially one with no or few previous inhabitants.
• Pioneer: A person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area.
• Homesteader: A person who acquires and settles on land under a government program (specific to certain historical contexts, like the U.S.).

Related Phrases

• Founding colonists: Refers to the very first group of colonists who established a settlement.
  • The names of the founding colonists are inscribed on the monument.
• Colonist ship: A ship used to transport colonists to a new land.
  • The colonist ship arrived after a perilous three-month voyage.

Noun

1. a person who settles in a new colony or moves into new country