Word
colonization
Phoneticscol·o·niza·tion
/ˌkɑɫənɪˈzeɪʃən/
UK spelling · colonisation
Definitions
01political control of territory
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Academic
n. the act of a powerful country taking control of another area and sending its own people to live there.
n. the process by which a central system of power dominates the surrounding land and its components, typically involving the settlement of a population from the colonising power.
“The colonization of the Americas changed the history of the world forever.”
“Historians continue to debate the long-term economic and social impacts of European colonization on indigenous populations across the African continent.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun when discussing the general historical process.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02biological spread
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. the way plants, animals, or bacteria spread to a new place and start living there.
n. the process in biology by which a species spreads to new areas, often referring to the initial population of a previously unoccupied habitat.
“The colonization of the new volcanic island by plants happened very quickly.”
“The rapid colonization of the gut by beneficial bacteria is essential for the development of a healthy immune system in newborns.”
Usage
Commonly used in ecology and microbiology to describe the establishment of a species in a new niche.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Etowah was a major center of the Mississippian culture, which flourished in the southeastern US in the centuries before colonization.” “The researchers documented not the collapse of thinking but something subtler and more revealing: the slow colonisation of thought by hunger.” Etymology
From colonize + -ation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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