colonialism
(kəˈləʊnɪəlɪz(ə)m)
[f. prec. + -ism.]
1. a. The practice or manner of things colonial.
| 1864 E. A. Murray E. Norman I. 48, I daresay she will be a nice motherly person, and untainted by colonialism. 1883 American VI. 46 The narrow trammels of colonialism. |
b. A practice or idiom peculiar to or characteristic of a colony. (Cf. provincialism.)
| 1853 C. Clacy Lady's Visit to Gold Diggings iv. 48 Attempting to sink poles and erect tents..in a high wind and belting rain, is (if I may be allowed the colonialism) ‘a horse of quite another colour’. 1887 H. W. Daly Digging & Squatting 239 To use a colonialism, ‘the place was going ahead’. |
2. The colonial system or principle. Now freq. used in the derogatory sense of an alleged policy of exploitation of backward or weak peoples by a large power.
| 1886 Dicey Eng. Case agst. Home Rule (ed. 2) 273 English Colonialism works well enough. 1889 Standard 20 May 3/1 There are three competing influences at work in South Africa..Colonialism, Republicanism, and Imperialism. 1949 Economist 28 May 970/1 The old unreasoning dislike of anything that looks like ‘colonialism’ persists [in the United States]. 1952 Ibid. 19 July 172/2 It is on that basis that they explain American support..of France in North Africa—to them a straight case of colonialism. 1956 Time 9 Jan. 24/2 Krushchev made clear what he meant by U.S. ‘colonialism’. ‘The colonialists give a dollar as {oqq}aid{cqq} in order to get subsequently ten dollars in return by exploiting the peoples who accept such aid.’ 1957 Listener 1 Aug. 159/1 ‘Colonialism’ is the commonest term of abuse nowadays throughout more than half the world. |