colonise

Colonise, or colonize in American English spelling, is the act of establishing colonies in a territory and extending political, economic, and cultural influence by a colonising power. The process typically involves settlement by migrants from the parent country, the creation of administrative institutions, and the exploitation or management of resources and labor. The term is used in historical, political, and anthropological contexts and is central to discussions of empire and imperialism. In biology, colonisation denotes the establishment of a species in a new habitat, and in speculative space policy it may describe future settlement of other worlds.

Historically, colonisation gained prominence from the 15th century during European overseas expansion. It took various forms: settler colonisation with large migrant populations; extractive or plantation colonisation focused on resource extraction and labor; and administrative colonisation governed as dependencies by metropolitan authorities. Motivations included economic gain, access to markets, strategic advantage, and cultural or religious aims. Colonial powers built governance structures, legal systems, infrastructure, education, and language patterns, often accompanied by dispossession of Indigenous peoples and major demographic and cultural transformations.

Colonisation left enduring, sometimes controversial, legacies. Critics highlight dispossession, cultural disruption, and economic inequality, while proponents point to infrastructure and institutional development. The 20th century saw widespread decolonisation, with many colonies gaining independence and redefining borders and identities. Today, colonisation is discussed in contexts such as decolonisation, settler-colonialism, and postcolonial studies, as scholars analyze causes, methods, and long-term impacts. The spelling colonise is standard in British English, with colonize preferred in American English.