# colonialism

> English word · Noun · IPA /kəˈləʊ.njə.lɪ.zəm/ · frequency rank #18,791

## Definitions
1. The policy of a country seeking to extend or retain its authority over other people or territories, generally with the aim of economic dominance.
2. Any form of foreign influence seen as undesirable.
3. A colonial word, phrase, concept, or habit.
4. Colonial life.

## Etymology
From colonial + -ism.

## Common misspellings (16)
`ccolonialism`, `cloonialism`, `collonialism`, `colnoialism`, `coloinalism`, `colonailism`, `coloniailsm`, `colonialims`, `colonialismm`, `colonialissm`, `coloniallism`, `colonialsim`, `colonilaism`, `colonnialism`, `coolnialism`, `oclonialism`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/colonialism