colonialism
gb/kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/ us/kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
C1
English
gyarmatosítás, kolonializmus, gyarmatosító szemlélet
NOUN
C1
1
Usage pattern:
colonialism in [place]; [adjective] colonialism; the history/impact/end of colonialism
The exhibition examines how European colonialism reshaped borders, trade, and land ownership.
A kiállítás azt vizsgálja, hogyan formálta át az európai gyarmatosítás a határokat, a kereskedelmet és a földtulajdont.
Many independence movements fought to end colonialism in the twentieth century.
Sok függetlenségi mozgalom harcolt azért, hogy a 20. században véget vessen a gyarmatosításnak.
The book argues that colonialism depended on military power, forced labor, and control of resources.
Learner examples
Colonialism changed many countries' languages and borders.
A gyarmatosítás sok ország nyelvét és határait megváltoztatta.
The people wanted freedom from colonialism.
Az emberek meg akartak szabadulni a gyarmatosítástól.
Common mistake:
Usually uncountable: say colonialism, not a colonialism, except in specialist uses such as different colonialisms.
Meaning
rule through colonies
Collocations
European colonialism
|British colonialism
|French colonialism
|Western colonialism
|the history of colonialism
|the impact of colonialism
|the era of colonialism
|resist colonialism
|end colonialism
|colonialism and imperialism
Synonyms
imperialism (broader term for empire-building and domination, not always through colonies or settlement)
|
colonial rule (more concrete phrase for government by a colonial power)
|
colonization (emphasizes the process of establishing control or settlements)
Antonyms
decolonization (the process of ending or undoing colonial rule)
|
independence (the state of being politically free from colonial control)
|
self-determination (the right of a people to govern themselves)
Themes
politics
|history
|empire
|society
Definition
a system in which one country controls another place and uses its land, people, or resources for its own benefit
the policy, system, or practice by which a powerful country controls another territory or people, often by settlement, political rule, and economic exploitation.
NOUN
C2
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
a form of colonialism; colonialism in [institution/practice]; accuse [someone/something] of colonialism
Critics saw the aid program as a form of colonialism because it ignored local knowledge and imposed outside priorities.
A bírálók a segélyprogramot a kolonializmus egyik formájának látták, mert figyelmen kívül hagyta a helyi tudást, és kívülről jövő prioritásokat kényszerített a helyiekre.
The novel exposes the colonialism behind the explorers' supposedly scientific descriptions.
A regény leleplezi a felfedezők állítólag tudományos leírásai mögött rejlő kolonializmust.
The course asks students to recognize colonialism in museums, maps, and school textbooks.
Learner examples
Some people said the policy showed colonialism because local voices were ignored.
Egyesek szerint ez a politika kolonializmust tükrözött, mert figyelmen kívül hagyta a helyiek véleményét.
The film criticizes colonialism in old adventure stories.
A film bírálja a régi kalandtörténetekben megjelenő kolonializmust.
Common mistake:
This use is stronger than foreign influence; it suggests unequal power and a colonial way of thinking.
Meaning
colonial attitudes and logic
Collocations
a form of colonialism
|colonialism in education
|colonialism in museums
|cultural colonialism
|digital colonialism
|residual colonialism
|challenge colonialism
|reproduce colonialism
Synonyms
colonial mentality (emphasizes the mindset or assumptions behind colonial power)
|
colonial ideology (more academic term for ideas that justify domination)
|
imperial attitude (more general phrase for a controlling or superior attitude)
Antonyms
anti-colonialism (opposition to colonial ideas and power relations)
|
decolonial thinking (an approach that tries to undo colonial assumptions)
Themes
politics
|culture
|power
|criticism
Definition
a way of thinking or acting that treats another people as less important and needing control by a stronger outside group
an attitude, ideology, or pattern of power that assumes an outside or dominant culture has the right to control, define, or reshape another people or place.
Grammar
Dictionary form
colonialism
IPA
GB/kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
US/kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
Syllables & stress
co - lo - ni - al - ism (5 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lo)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: colonialism
- Plural: colonialism
Expressions
anti-colonialism
1/ˈæntaɪ kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
opposition to colonial rule
the belief that colonial rule is wrong and should be resisted or ended
Examples
- Anti-colonialism shaped many independence movements after the Second World War.
- Her speeches combined feminism, socialism, and anti-colonialism.
- The novel became an important text of anti-colonialism.
Learner examples
- Anti-colonialism grew in many colonies.
- His writing supported anti-colonialism.
cultural colonialism
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəl kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
formal
imposed cultural dominance
when a powerful culture pushes its language, values, or media onto another culture
Examples
- Some educators criticized the curriculum as cultural colonialism because it ignored local history and languages.
- The spread of global media is sometimes discussed as cultural colonialism.
- The author argues that missionary schools often combined religion with cultural colonialism.
Learner examples
- They saw the new school program as cultural colonialism.
- Cultural colonialism can affect language and identity.
digital colonialism
1/dˈɪd͡ʒɪtəl kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
digital power and extraction
a modern form of unequal control through technology, data, or online platforms
Examples
- The researcher warned that free cloud services could create a new form of digital colonialism.
- Activists describe the extraction of data from poorer countries as digital colonialism.
- The conference discussed digital colonialism, data rights, and control of internet infrastructure.
Learner examples
- Digital colonialism is about power over data and technology.
- Some people worry that big tech companies create digital colonialism.
internal colonialism
1/ɪntˈɚnəl kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
domination within a country
colonial-like control of one group or region by another group inside the same country
Examples
- The article describes the mining region's relationship with the capital as internal colonialism.
- Some activists use the term internal colonialism to explain the treatment of Indigenous communities within the state.
- The theory of internal colonialism links regional poverty to political and economic control from the center.
Learner examples
- Internal colonialism happens inside one country.
- The writer called the region's poverty a result of internal colonialism.
legacy of colonialism
1/lˈɛɡəsi əv kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
lasting colonial effects
the problems, changes, or influences that remain after colonial rule has ended
Examples
- The borders drawn by European powers are part of the legacy of colonialism in the region.
- The report links language loss to the legacy of colonialism.
- Debates over land ownership are still shaped by the legacy of colonialism.
Learner examples
- The legacy of colonialism can last for many generations.
- Schools still discuss the legacy of colonialism.
neo-colonialism
1/nˈioʊ kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
formal
indirect modern domination
a modern form of control where a powerful country influences another country without officially ruling it
Examples
- Some critics described the loan conditions as neo-colonialism because they limited the country's policy choices.
- The president accused foreign powers of neo-colonialism after they threatened new sanctions.
- The article argues that control of minerals has become a form of neo-colonialism.
Learner examples
- They said the trade deal was neo-colonialism.
- Neo-colonialism does not always involve soldiers or direct rule.
post-colonialism
1/pˈoʊst kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
study of colonial aftermaths
the study of how colonialism continues to affect countries, cultures, and literature after formal rule ends
Examples
- Post-colonialism changed the way many universities teach literature from former colonies.
- The essay uses post-colonialism to analyze language, identity, and power in the novel.
- In post-colonialism, questions of voice and representation are central.
Learner examples
- Post-colonialism studies life after colonial rule.
- The class read novels through post-colonialism.
settler colonialism
1/sˈɛtəlɚ kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
colonial rule based on permanent settlers
A kind of colonial rule where people from the powerful country move to the land, stay there, and build a new society that often pushes out the original people.
Examples
- Some historians describe the country's history as a classic case of settler colonialism.
- The book compares patterns of settler colonialism in North America, Australia, and southern Africa.
settler colonialism
1/sˈɛtəlɚ kəlˈoʊniəlˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
formal
colonialism by permanent settlers
colonialism where settlers come to stay and take control of land from Indigenous people
Examples
- The course compares settler colonialism in North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Scholars of settler colonialism often focus on land, law, and the displacement of Indigenous peoples.
- The documentary presents the conflict as part of a longer history of settler colonialism.
Learner examples
- Settler colonialism often involved taking land from Indigenous people.
- The book is about settler colonialism in Australia.