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colonial

/kəˈloʊniəl/
/kəˈlʌʊniəl/
IPA guide

Other forms: colonials; colonially

The colonial period of United States history occurred before 1776, when America was still 13 colonies under British rule.

You can use the word colonial to describe an inhabitant of a colony ruled by another country, but you wouldn’t call a painter living in an artists' colony a colonial. On the other hand, ants, which live in ant colonies, are colonial insects. British colonial is a style of furniture the British favored for their houses and tents in India or on safari in Africa — when India and parts of Africa were British colonies.

Definitions of colonial
  1. adjective
    of or relating to or characteristic of or inhabiting a colony
  2. adjective
    composed of many distinct individuals united to form a whole or colony
    “coral is a colonial organism”
    synonyms: compound
    complex
    complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts
  3. adjective
    of animals who live in colonies, such as ants
  4. noun
    a resident of a colony
    see moresee less
    type of:
    occupant, occupier, resident
    someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
Pronunciation
US
/kəˈloʊniəl/
UK
/kəˈlʌʊniəl/
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