colonize

verb/ˈkɑləˌnaɪz/

Frequency rank: #15,975 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

to establish control over a place and settle it with one's own people.

Illustration for the English word “colonize”

Example sentence

European powers sought to colonize distant lands in order to expand their wealth and influence.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 15,901–16,000