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Showing results for colonial. Search instead for precolonia.
Definitions

colonial

[kuh-loh-nee-uhl] / kəˈloʊ ni əl /
ADJECTIVE
pioneering, relating to a nonindependent or new territory
Synonyms
STRONG
crude dependent dominion emigrant frontier immigrant pilgrim pioneer primitive provincial puritan territorial wild
WEAK
early American new outland prerevolutionary transplanted uncultured unsettled unsophisticated
Antonyms
STRONG
gentle modern sophisticated

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Many of Sydney's early colonial buildings are held together with oyster shell."

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

From Koli fisherfolk to colonial planners, and from Bollywood stars to textile barons, many have shaped the western Indian city's landscape and identity.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Antique maps and other geological archives are at the heart of an increasingly ugly showdown between Belgium’s colonial museum and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Lumumba, an outspoken critic of Belgium's colonial rule, became his country's first prime minister after it gained independence in 1960.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

I think it's from colonial times, but I’m not sure.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly