colonist

A colonist is a person who settles in a territory that is claimed or controlled by another power, forming the core population of a colony. Colonists typically establish communities, work land or resources, and bring with them language, religion, and social practices from their homeland. The term can be used for historical contexts as well as modern references to off-world settlements.

During the age of exploration and European expansion, colonists established colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. They often arrived under royal charters or company sponsorship and were sometimes granted land or labor arrangements. Across these colonies, interactions with Indigenous peoples ranged from trade and alliance to displacement, disease, and violent conflict. The colonial population often included settlers, administrators, soldiers, and laborers; in many cases, colonists relied on enslaved or indentured labor.

Economically, colonization was tied to mercantilist policies and resource extraction, with governance structures including appointed governors, colonial councils, and locally elected assemblies in some regions. Over time, colonies might gain varying degrees of self-government or become integrated into a metropolitan state.

In the modern era, the term can describe residents of a modern colony or, in science fiction, people living in space or other planets. The legacy of colonization includes enduring cultural exchanges as well as contested histories related to displacement, cultural erasure, and resistance.