# colonial

/kəˈɫoʊniəɫ/ (US) · /kəlˈəʊnɪəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/colonial
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. relating to colonies

adjective · CEFR B2

connected with a country that is ruled by another country.

For teachers: relating to or characteristic of a colony or colonialism.

- The city still has many old colonial buildings from the time of British rule.
- The historian argued that colonial administrative structures often persisted long after the formal declaration of independence.

Usage: Often used to describe architecture, history, or government systems.

### 2. American historical style

adjective · CEFR B2 · American English

relating to the original thirteen colonies that became the United States.

For teachers: pertaining to the period of the British colonies in North America before the American Revolution.

- We visited a colonial village to see how people lived in the 1700s.
- The museum features an extensive collection of colonial furniture, showcasing the craftsmanship of early American settlers.

### 3. living in groups

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing animals or plants that live together in a large group or colony.

For teachers: relating to or forming a colony of organisms, such as coral or certain types of bacteria.

- Corals are colonial animals that build massive reefs over many years.
- The researchers studied the colonial behavior of the bacteria to understand how they communicate within a shared environment.

### 4. a person from a colony

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a person who lives in or comes from a colony.

For teachers: a person who inhabits a colony; sometimes used to refer to a settler or a subject of a colonial power.

- The old letters describe the difficult lives of the early colonials.
- The social hierarchy of the era clearly distinguished between the ruling officials and the local colonials.

### 5. a type of house

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a house built in a simple, traditional style common in early America.

For teachers: a house designed in a style reminiscent of the American colonial period, typically featuring two stories and a symmetrical facade.

- They bought a beautiful white colonial with a large front porch.
- The neighborhood is famous for its well-preserved colonials, many of which date back to the late eighteenth century.

## Examples

- Each tiny colonial helps build the larger coral reef.
- Biologists observed how each individual colonial contributed to the overall survival of the floating organism.
- The study examines how the specialized roles of each colonial within the siphonophore allow the entire cluster to function as a single, complex predator.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.