colonynoun [ C ]
uk/ˈkɒl.ə.ni/us/ˈkɑː.lə.ni/colony noun [ C ] (GROUP)
a country or area controlled politically by a more powerful country that is often far away:
Australia and New Zealand are former British colonies.
a group of people who live in a colony
a group of people with a shared interest or job who live together in a way that is separate from other people:
an artists' colony
a nudist colony
specialized biology a group of animals, insects, or plants of the same type that live together:
a colony of ants/termites/bacteria
More examples
- Many behavioural patterns have been identified in the chimp colony.
- India was a British colony.
- Australia and New Zealand are former British colonies.
- Europe saw its colonies as a source of raw material and a malleable workforce.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Colonisation & self-government
- annex
- autonomous
- autonomy
- client state
- colonial
- decolonization
- dependency
- devolution
- devolve
- devolve sth to sb
- Independence Day
- nationalism
- nationalist
- neocolonialism
- non-aligned
- self-rule
- separatism
- separatist
- the British Empire
- the free world
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Groups of people
Animal groupings
colony noun [ C ] (HOUSES)
Indian English an area surrounded by fences or walls that contains a group of houses, for example houses that have been built by an employer for its workers
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Houses & homes
- A-frame
- almshouse
- apartment
- apartment building
- apt
- flophouse
- garden apartment
- garden flat
- gated community
- gatehouse
- public housing
- pueblo
- Quonset hut
- ranch house
- rest home
- villa
- walk-up
- wigwam
- workhouse
- yurt
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