colonial
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.connected with a country that is ruled by another country.
adj.relating to or characteristic of a colony or colonialism.
Simple“The city still has many old colonial buildings from the time of British rule.”
In context“The historian argued that colonial administrative structures often persisted long after the formal declaration of independence.”
UsageOften used to describe architecture, history, or government systems.
Antonymsindependentpostcolonial - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to the original thirteen colonies that became the United States.
adj.pertaining to the period of the British colonies in North America before the American Revolution.
Simple“We visited a colonial village to see how people lived in the 1700s.”
In context“The museum features an extensive collection of colonial furniture, showcasing the craftsmanship of early American settlers.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.describing animals or plants that live together in a large group or colony.
adj.relating to or forming a colony of organisms, such as coral or certain types of bacteria.
Simple“Corals are colonial animals that build massive reefs over many years.”
In context“The researchers studied the colonial behavior of the bacteria to understand how they communicate within a shared environment.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.a person who lives in or comes from a colony.
n.a person who inhabits a colony; sometimes used to refer to a settler or a subject of a colonial power.
Simple“The old letters describe the difficult lives of the early colonials.”
In context“The social hierarchy of the era clearly distinguished between the ruling officials and the local colonials.”
Synonymssettlercolonist - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a house built in a simple, traditional style common in early America.
n.a house designed in a style reminiscent of the American colonial period, typically featuring two stories and a symmetrical facade.
Simple“They bought a beautiful white colonial with a large front porch.”
In context“The neighborhood is famous for its well-preserved colonials, many of which date back to the late eighteenth century.”
“It was the 1868 solar eclipse over colonial India that led to the element helium being discovered jointly by the astronomers Pierre Janssen of France and Norman Lockyer of Britain.”
“It was created in the 1950s during British colonial rule, when the Zambezi River was dammed, displacing about 57,000 people.”
From colony + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.