colonize

UK: /ˈkɒlənaɪz/ US: /ˈkɑləˌnaɪz/ ,(kol′ə nīz′)

Inflections of 'colonize' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

colonizes

v 3rd person singular (US & UK)

colonizing

v pres p (US & UK)

colonized

v past (US & UK)

colonized

v past p (US & UK)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

col•o•nize /ˈkɑləˌnaɪz/   v. [~ + object] , -nized, -niz•ing. 

1. Government to establish a colony in; settle:
   They colonized the region.

col•o•niz•a•ble, adj. 
col•o•ni•za•tion /ˌkɑlənəˈzeɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]
col•o•niz•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

col•o•nize  (kol′ə nīz′), v., -nized, -niz•ing. 
v.t. 

1. Government to establish a colony in;
   settle:
   England colonized Australia.
2. Government to form a colony of:
   to colonize laborers in a mining region.

v.i. 

3. Government to form a colony:
   They went out to Australia to colonize.
4. Government to settle in a colony.

Also,[esp. Brit.,] col′o•nise′. 

• colon(y) + -ize 1615–25

col′o•niz′a•ble, adj. 
col′o•niz′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
col′o•ni•za′tion, n. 
col′o•ni•za′tion•ist, n. 
col′o•niz′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

colonize, colonise / ˈkɒləˌnaɪz/ verb

1. to send colonists to or establish a colony in (an area)
2. to settle in (an area) as colonists
3. (transitive) to transform (a community) into a colony
4. (of plants and animals) to become established in (a new environment)

ˌcoloniˈzation, ˌcoloniˈsation noun

ˈcoloˌnizer, ˈcoloˌniser noun