colony
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a country or area that is ruled by another, more powerful country.
a territory under the political control of a distant state, often established for resource extraction or strategic settlement.
Simple“In the 18th century, America was still a British colony.”
In context“The administration of the colony was managed by a governor appointed directly by the crown to oversee trade and taxation.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a group of animals or plants of the same type that live together.
a population of organisms of the same species living in close physical association, often functioning as a single unit.
Simple“The researchers found a large colony of ants living under the old tree.”
In context“Marine biologists observed that the coral colony was beginning to recover after several years of strictly enforced environmental protections.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a name for a specific neighbourhood or a group of apartment buildings.
a residential district, housing estate, or neighbourhood.
Simple“He lives in a quiet colony near the city centre.”
In context“The new housing colony was designed with integrated parks and local shops to serve the growing middle-class population.”
UsageCommonly used in Indian English to refer to residential areas.
Teacher's tipIn Indian English, this is a standard way to describe a residential area; however, in British or American English, it might sound like a historical or biological term.
Synonyms
“New UC Riverside research shows their behavior changes as chemicals make their way through a colony.”
“A Mars colony would need people to build it.”
From Middle English colane, colonye, from Latin colōnia (“colony”), from colōnus (“farmer; colonist”), from colō (“till, cultivate, worship”), from earlier quelō, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- (“to move; to turn (around)”). Doublet of Cologne, Colonia, and Köln.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.