1. having been settled and controlled by people from another country

1. past tense of colonize: to establish a colony in a place; to settle and take control of an area
2. past tense of colonize: (of organisms) to establish a population in a new habitat or environment
Usage: biology

Examples

• Many African countries were colonized by European powers in the 19th century.
• The colonized territories struggled for independence throughout the 20th century.
• Britain colonized large parts of North America in the 1600s.
• The Spanish colonized much of South America after Columbus’s voyages.
• Bacteria quickly colonized the new growth medium in the laboratory.
• The island was colonized by seabirds that arrived from the mainland.
• Indigenous peoples resisted being colonized by foreign invaders.