What does anticolonialist mean?
An anticolonialist is a person who opposes colonialism — the practice by which one nation establishes and maintains political control over foreign territories and their peoples. The word also serves adjectivally, describing movements, writings, or policies aimed at ending colonial rule. Anticolonialist thought gained global prominence during the twentieth century, when leaders and intellectuals across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean campaigned for independence from European empires; figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Frantz Fanon, and Kwame Nkrumah are frequently described this way. In modern usage the term appears mostly in history, politics, and postcolonial studies, where it denotes both historical actors and the ideas they championed. Because colonialism is now widely condemned, calling someone an anticolonialist generally conveys approval, though the label still signals a particular stance in debates over empire's legacy. Related terms include anti-imperialist, which is broader, and postcolonialist, which concerns colonialism's aftermath rather than its active opposition.
A person who opposes colonialism, especially one who campaigns against the rule of a nation over foreign territories and supports their independence.
"As a committed anticolonialist, she spent decades documenting the struggles of independence movements across West Africa."
Often applied retrospectively to historical figures; in academic writing it may describe adherents of anticolonial theory as well as political activists.
Opposed to colonialism or characteristic of opposition to colonial rule.
"The journal published a series of anticolonialist essays that challenged the legitimacy of imperial administration."
Used when referring to multiple individuals who opposed colonialism, such as members of an independence movement.
"The conference brought together anticolonialists from across Asia and Africa."
Nearly every national flag raised between 1945 and 1975 was hoisted by someone who could fairly be called an anticolonialist.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does anticolonialist come from?
Anticolonialist combines the prefix 'anti-', from Greek meaning 'against', with 'colonialist', which derives from 'colony'. 'Colony' comes from Latin 'colonia', meaning a settled estate or outpost, itself rooted in 'colonus', a farmer or settler — the same Latin root that gives English 'culture' and 'cultivate' through 'colere', to till or dwell. The compound emerged in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as organized opposition to European empires grew, becoming especially common in mid-twentieth-century political writing during the era of decolonization.
Related word forms
How anticolonialist is actually used
The word carries a broadly positive connotation in most contemporary discourse, given widespread historical condemnation of colonialism, though it can signal political alignment in debates about empire's legacy. It appears mainly in formal, academic, journalistic, and historical writing rather than casual conversation.
Easily confused with anticolonialist
An anti-imperialist opposes empire-building and imperial domination more broadly, while an anticolonialist specifically opposes the settlement and direct rule of overseas territories.
A postcolonialist studies or engages with the aftermath of colonialism, whereas an anticolonialist actively opposed colonial rule itself, typically during the colonial era.