What does colonised mean?
"Colonised" is the past simple and past participle of the verb "colonise", the standard British spelling of what Americans write as "colonize". It means having taken control of a foreign territory, typically establishing settlements there and asserting political and economic dominance over its existing inhabitants. The word appears constantly in discussions of history — for example, "Britain colonised India" — and carries strong connotations of conquest, displacement, and exploitation, which is why terms like "formerly colonised nations" are common in postcolonial studies. Beyond human history, the verb also has a biological sense: organisms such as bacteria, plants, or animals can be said to have colonised a habitat when they establish populations there. The word derives from the Latin "colonus", meaning farmer or settler, via "colonia", a settlement of citizens in conquered land.
verb (past simple and past participle)Past simple and past participle of the verb "colonise": to have established political control over another country or region, settling it with one's own people and exploiting or occupying its resources.
- (of a country or people) having established political control over another territory and settled it with its own population.
- (of organisms) having established themselves in and populated a new habitat or area.
"The British colonised vast territories across Asia and Africa during the nineteenth century."
"Australia was colonised by Britain beginning in 1788."
"Bacteria quickly colonised the surface of the petri dish."
The word traces back to Latin "colonus", meaning farmer — so to colonise originally meant to farm new land, before it came to mean seizing entire nations.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colonised
"Colonised" comes from the verb "colonise", formed from "colony", which entered English in the sixteenth century from Latin "colonia", meaning a settlement of Roman citizens in conquered territory. The ultimate root is "colonus", a Latin noun meaning farmer or tiller of soil, related to the verb "colere", to cultivate or inhabit. Cognates sharing this root include "culture", "agriculture", and "cultivate". The spelling with -ise reflects British convention; American English uses -ize.
Related word forms
How colonised is actually used
"Colonised" is the British spelling; American English uses "colonized". In historical and postcolonial discourse, the term often carries connotations of exploitation and oppression.
Easily confused with colonised
"Colonised" is the standard British spelling, while "colonized" is the American spelling of the same word.