noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The control or domination by a powerful country over weaker ones (especially former colonies) by the use of economic pressure, political suppression and cultural dominance. countable, uncountable
2. 2
   control by a powerful country of its former colonies (or other less developed countries) by economic pressures wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

appeasementaristocracyautarchyautonomybalance of powerbrinkmanship

Example

More examples

"English is the language of colonialism and neocolonialism."

Etymology

By surface analysis, neo + colonialism, or, by surface analysis, neocolonial + ism.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.