How to say "colonialism" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 植民地主義しょくみんちしゅぎnounCovers colonialism as a political and economic system of domination over other territories; the Sino-Japanese term, transparent in meaning, typical of historical and political writing.
- nounThe katakana loanword for the same concept, with a distinctly Western, academic flavor; at home in critical theory, postcolonial studies, and translated Western scholarship.
Both words mean 'colonialism' and largely overlap, and neither is an everyday word: use 植民地主義 for the political-historical system of domination, 「コロニアリズム」 in the idiom of critical or postcolonial theory.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
