English · Word Candidate

colonial

/kəˈləʊ.ni.əl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: colonials

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Of or pertaining to a colony.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

liên quan đến thuộc địa

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Of or pertaining to a period when a country or territory was a colony.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

liên quan đến thời kỳ một quốc gia hoặc lãnh thổ là thuộc địa

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A person from a country that is or was controlled by another.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

người từ một quốc gia bị kiểm soát bởi quốc gia khác

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

None of them are, so to speak, idle men. Many of them are emigrants, not of the soil born and bred colonials.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A house that is built in a style reminiscent of the period of the colonization of New England.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

ngôi nhà được xây dựng theo phong cách gợi nhớ đến thời kỳ thuộc địa của New England

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: US

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “colonial” mean?

Of or pertaining to a colony.

Is “colonial” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.