Colonial
|co-lo-ni-al|
🇺🇸
/kəˈloʊniəl/
🇬🇧
/kəˈləʊniəl/
(colonial)
related to colonies
Etymology
'colonial' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'colonia', where 'colonia' meant 'settlement' or 'farm'.
'colonial' changed from Medieval Latin 'colonialis', passed into French as 'colonial', and eventually became the modern English word 'colonial'.
Initially it referred to things relating to a colony or settlement; over time it broadened to include political control by a colonizing power, cultural or architectural styles associated with colonies, and biological senses of organisms forming colonies.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who lives in or comes from a colony; a colonist.
The colonials in the territory demanded greater self-government.
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Noun 2
a (particularly historical) inhabitant of the American colonies before independence (often used in historical contexts).
In history class we read accounts written by the colonials of the 18th century.
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Adjective 1
relating to or characteristic of a colony or colonies (political, administrative relationship between a colonizing power and its colony).
Many countries still struggle with the legacy of colonial rule.
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Adjective 2
of or typical of settlers or colonists, or of the period when a territory was a colony (used of culture, architecture, institutions).
The town features many colonial buildings with wide verandas.
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Adjective 3
in biology, forming or living in a colony (a group of physically connected or cooperative organisms).
Corals and some algae are colonial organisms.
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Last updated: 2025/10/31 21:14