Colonial describes things related to colonies: territories controlled and settled by people from a distant country. When European nations established colonial empires between the 1500s and 1900s, they sent settlers to distant lands in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia, claiming authority over those regions and their native populations.

The thirteen American colonies were colonial territories of Britain before the Revolutionary War. Britain made laws for these colonies from across the Atlantic Ocean, and the colonists eventually decided they wanted to govern themselves. Other European powers like Spain, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands also established colonial systems around the world.

The word also refers to the architectural style popular during America's colonial period. Colonial houses typically feature symmetrical designs, shuttered windows, and central chimneys. You might see this style preserved in historic districts or copied in newer neighborhoods.

A colonist is someone who settles in a colony. Colonialism refers to the practice of establishing and maintaining colonies, which often involved forcing the original inhabitants to follow the rules and customs of the colonizing country. Many former colonies gained independence during the 1900s and now govern themselves as independent nations.