colony

col-o-ny · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A territory under the political control of a distant country.

  2. 2.

    A group of people who settle in a new place but maintain ties with their homeland.

  3. 3.

    A community of animals or plants living closely together.

  4. 4.

    A group of people with a shared characteristic living together.

Forms

plural: colonies

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    penal colony — a settlement for prisoners
  • •
    artist colony — a community of artists

Related words

See also: colonial, colonies, colonize
Synonyms: dependency, settlement, territory

Etymology

From Latin colonia meaning "farm, settlement," from colonus ("farmer, settler"), from colere ("to cultivate, inhabit").