What does colonialize mean?
'Colonialize' is a verb meaning to take control of a territory and its people as a colony — whether by settling it with one's own population or by subjecting it to external political and economic rule. In practice it functions as a rare variant of the far more common verb 'colonize', and most dictionaries list only the latter. When writers reach for 'colonialize', it is frequently a deliberate choice: the extra syllable can foreground the systematic character of colonialism, stressing the imposed institutions and structures rather than the act of settlement itself. The word carries strongly negative connotations in modern usage, since it names a historical process associated with dispossession, exploitation, and cultural erasure. It derives, like 'colonize' and 'colony', from the Latin 'colonus', a farmer or settler — a reminder that the language of colonization originally described nothing more sinister than tilling the land.
verbTo establish colonies in or take political control over a territory and its people, typically by settling it or subjecting it to foreign rule; a less common variant of the standard verb 'colonize'.
- To establish a colony or colonies in a territory, settling it with people from another land.
- To bring a territory and its inhabitants under colonial rule or control, often exploiting its resources and reshaping its institutions.
"The empire moved to colonialize the coastal region, establishing trading posts that soon grew into fortified settlements."
"European powers sought to colonialize distant shores throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries."
"Critics argued the program would effectively colonialize the island's economy, binding it to outside markets."
It means exactly what 'colonize' does — English simply built the same idea twice, and 'colonialize' is the road less taken.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colonialize
'Colonialize' shares its origin with 'colonize': both trace back through the Latin 'colonia' (a settlement) to 'colonus', meaning a farmer, tiller, or settler, which itself derives from the verb 'colere', to cultivate. The noun 'colony' entered English early, and verbs of settlement followed; 'colonialize' arose as an alternative formation on 'colonial'. Its cognates extend beyond the colonial vocabulary into everyday words of cultivation and growth, such as 'cultivate' and 'culture', all descendants of the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How colonialize is actually used
'Colonialize' is markedly less common than 'colonize', which is the form preferred by major dictionaries and style guides. When it does appear, it is often chosen deliberately to emphasize the systemic imposition of colonial rule rather than the mere act of settlement. Writers should generally default to 'colonize' unless the variant serves a specific rhetorical purpose.
Easily confused with colonialize
'Colonize' is the standard, far more common verb with the same meaning, while 'colonialize' is a rare variant that some writers use, sometimes to stress the imposition of colonial structures.