colonizer
UK: ˈkɒlənaɪzə | US: ˈkɑːlənaɪzər
n. a person or group that establishes control over a territory or people, often through settlement or political dominance.
n. (derogatory) one who exploits or appropriates resources, culture, or land from indigenous populations.
The word "colonizer" derives from the Latin colonia (a settlement or farm), rooted in colonus (farmer, settler). The suffix -ize (from Greek -izein) signifies action, and -er denotes an agent. Historically, it described settlers establishing colonies, but modern usage often carries negative connotations of exploitation and cultural imposition.
The colonizer imposed new laws on the indigenous population.
Critics argue that the museum’s artifacts were looted by 19th-century colonizers.
The novel explores the perspective of both the colonizer and the colonized.
European colonizers introduced crops like wheat to the Americas.
Postcolonial studies examine the legacy of the colonizer’s influence.