colonial
colonial — adjective
1. connected with the practice of one country taking political control over another
connected with the practice of one country taking political control over another country and sending its own people to live and work there
The colonial government built roads and railways to transport goods from the interior.
grammar pattern: colonial + noun (government, power, rule)
Aiko's grandfather fought against colonial forces during the independence war.
Colonial policies often ignored the needs and traditions of local communities.
collocation: colonial policy / colonial rule
The building was first used as a colonial school for children of European settlers.
- colonial power
- colonial rule
- colonial government
- colonial period
- colonial history
- colonial force
- independent
describes a country that governs itself, not controlled by another power
- indigenous
relating to the original inhabitants, not the colonising power
Grammar Patterns
colonial + noun
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used before a noun. In modern writing, 'colonial' can carry a critical tone when discussing the lasting effects of colonialism on former colonies.
Common Mistakes
2. describing furniture, buildings, or design that copies the look of a past era wh
describing furniture, buildings, or design that copies the look of a past era when one nation ruled another faraway land, especially the European colonial period in America, Africa, and Asia
The Watanabe family bought a colonial-style house with large wooden windows and a wide porch.
collocation: colonial-style + noun (house, furniture, building)
Priya decorated her living room with colonial furniture from the early 1900s.
The hotel's dining room features a colonial design with ceiling fans and dark wooden tables.
Leila admired the colonial architecture of the old courthouse in the city centre.
collocation: colonial architecture
- colonial-style
- colonial furniture
- colonial architecture
- colonial design
- colonial house
- traditional
broader; can describe any style passed down through generations, not necessarily colonial
- period
describes furniture or design from a specific historical era, including colonial
- modern
contemporary in design, not historical or colonial
- contemporary
current or up-to-date in style, opposite of period design
Grammar Patterns
colonial + noun (house, furniture, architecture)
Usage Note
When referring to a specific historical period, such as the American Colonial period (1600s–1700s), the word is sometimes capitalised: 'Colonial architecture'. This sense focuses on design and aesthetics, not on politics.
Common Mistakes
colonial — noun
1. a person who moves from the ruling country to live in a colony, often as a settl
a person who moves from the ruling country to live in a colony, often as a settler, trader, or government official
Tariq's family were among the first colonials to settle in the highlands of Kenya.
collocation: colonials + settle / live / establish
Dr. Okafor wrote a book about the daily lives of colonials in West Africa.
Yara found an old diary written by a colonial in her town from the 1800s.
The old photograph shows colonial officers standing outside their district office.
collocation: colonial officers
- early colonials
- British colonials
- colonial settlement
- colonial community
- native
a person originally from the colonised land, not the ruling country
- indigenous person
someone whose ancestors lived in the region before colonisation
Usage Note
This term can sound dated or politically charged in modern contexts. 'Settler' is often preferred in neutral or academic discussion. Do not use 'colonial' to refer to the indigenous people of a colony.