colonial: Meaning and Definition of

co•lo•ni•al

Pronunciation: (ku-lō'nē-ul), [key]
— adj.
  1. of, concerning, or pertaining to a colony or colonies: the colonial policies of France.
  2. of, concerning, or pertaining to colonialism; colonialistic.
  3. (often cap.) pertaining to the 13 British colonies that became the United States of America, or to their period.
  4. forming a colony.
  5. (cap.)
    1. noting or pertaining to the styles of architecture, ornament, and furnishings of the British colonies in America in the 17th and 18th centuries, mainly adapted to local materials and demands from prevailing English styles.
    2. noting or pertaining to various imitations of the work of American colonial artisans.
—n.
  1. an inhabitant of a colony.
  2. a house in or imitative of the Colonial style.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: