colonialism
colonialism Lexical Profile
colonialism Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
"The historian's new book examines the lasting economic impacts of European colonialism in Africa and Asia."
A linguistic feature, custom, or characteristic peculiar to a colony.
"Early dictionaries of American English often documented local colonialisms that had diverged from British usage."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often used interchangeably with 'imperialism', 'colonialism' specifically implies the physical settlement of people in a new territory, whereas 'imperialism' refers more broadly to the exercise of political or economic control over another region, with or without settlers.
• Rhymes for colonialism
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-19th century from 'colonial' plus the suffix '-ism', ultimately tracing back to the Latin 'colonia' (settled land, farm), from 'colonus' (farmer, planter, settler), derived from 'colere' (to cultivate, inhabit).