People or nations that establish colonies and extend their control over other territories, typically through conquest or settlement.
From 'colonize' plus '-er' suffix for agent. The term became prominent in postcolonial scholarship to specifically name the actors in colonization.
The word 'colonizers' can seem neutral, but it's actually doing important work—it names specific actors and their agency, which shifts conversation from 'colonialism happened' to 'colonizers did this to colonized peoples.'
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