COLONIZE Synonyms: 8 Similar and Opposite Words

colonize

verb

ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz

Definition of colonize

as in to inhabit

to supply with inhabitants believes that someday humans will be sent to colonize Mars

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of colonize No matter that the Brits, like the Bund, were battling Hitler—the Bundists knew that their allies were the colonized, marginal, and exploited. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026 So much of the investment thesis is a bet on Musk, and his mission to build data centers in space soon and eventually colonize Mars, while trying to develop AI services to rival Google, OpenAI and Anthropic. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 The tiny coral limestone atoll was colonized by Germany and later administered by Australia before becoming an independent republic in 1968. — Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 When ships are stationary for periods of days or weeks, the submerged parts of the vessel can become colonized by microbes, algae and other marine organisms. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for colonize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonize

Verb

This district was the heart of Rome’s Jewish and Syrian communities, inhabited for centuries by generations of immigrants from the eastern Mediterranean and their descendants.

— Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 17 Aug. 2026
Most of Chocó's 600,000 inhabitants live in poverty, according to figures published last year by Colombia’s national government, and it is largely inhabited by Indigenous tribes and Afro Colombian communities.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of inhabit

Verb

The primary setting of the show is Manhattan Plaza, a subsidized apartment complex populated by artists and musicians, where Ali finds a sense of community while navigating a strained relationship with her mother, Jersey, and a budding romance.

— Maya Santiago, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
The mini-Mozarts populated not only the garden of the composer's former house, but also his living quarters as well as several pavilions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of populate

Verb

Today, this part of the South Side seems to be almost entirely peopled by Black families.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026
Ishaq has made a film peopled with women and boys who go beyond simple archetypes, setting joyful female solidarity against omnipresent conflict in a way designed to communicate with a broad demographic.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 May 2026

Definition of people

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colonists

colonize

colonized

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“Colonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonize. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of colonize

verb

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