colonize Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb settle as a colony; of countries in the developing world
    colonise.
    • Europeans colonized Africa in the 17th century
  2. verb settle as colonists or establish a colony (in)
    colonise.
    • The British colonized the East Coast

WordNet

Col"o*nize transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. F. coloniser.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Colonized ; present participle & verbal noun Colonizing
Definitions
  1. To plant or establish a colony or colonies in; to people with colonists; to migrate to and settle in. Bacon.
    They that would thus colonize the stars with inhabitants. Howell.
Col"o*nize intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To remove to, and settle in, a distant country; to make a colony. C. Buchanan.

Webster 1913