To establish colonial rule or control over a territory; to bring a place under colonial administration.
From 'colonial' plus '-ize' suffix. This academic term emerged in the 20th century to describe the historical process of colonial expansion.
Historians use 'colonialize' to describe how European powers systematically transformed entire continents—but the word itself is kind of clinical, which is interesting because it can make horrific processes sound almost administrative.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.