Colonize and Decolonise

Opposite meaning words

Colonize verb - Settle as a colony; of countries in the developing world.

Usage example: Europeans colonized Africa in the 17th century

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Decolonise is an antonym for colonize.

Decolonise verb - Grant independence to (a former colony).

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Colonize is an antonym for decolonise.

Cite this Source

Decolonise and Colonize. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 01, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/colonize/decolonise

Colonize & Decolonise. N.p., 2016. Web. 01 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/colonize/decolonise>.

Decolonise or Colonize. 2016. Accessed August 01, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/colonize/decolonise.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "colonize" and "decolonise" have occurred on timeline