Is there a term for the country that owns or rules a colony from overseas?

Sample sentences:

Quebec's ____ was France.

After the French and Indian War, Quebec's ____ was Britain.

Spain was a major _____ and it colonized many countries throughout the world.

The word "colonizer" emphasizes the colonizing aspect more than the ruling aspect, so it does not seem to fit always, such as in the second sentence. I need to emphasize the control over politics, not the act of settling.


You can use the term colonial ruler to emphasize that the colonizing nation/country is the ruler of the colonized territory.

From Colonialism: A Theoretical Overview by Jürgen Osterhammel:


From Unveiling the Nation: The Politics of Secularism in France and Quebec By Emily Laxer:

...France was an arms-length colonial ruler in the territory now known as Quebec.

  • colonizer; /ˈkɒlənʌɪzə/ or coloniser (From internet): a country that sends settlers to a place and establishes political control over it. "Portugal was a major colonizer in both Brazil and parts of Africa" – Ram Pillai Nov 12 '19 at 16:41
  • @RamPillai: Thanks. "Colonizer" already includes the ruling sense but OP requested another term that emphasizes the ruling part (per last paragraph). – 0.. Nov 12 '19 at 16:52
  • Another term sometimes use is "the colonizing power," as these Google Books search results indicate. – Sven Yargs Nov 12 '19 at 19:52
  • @ermanen: Do you think "Colonial force(s)" will fit in? – Ram Pillai Nov 14 '19 at 12:56
  • @RamPillai: "Colonial force(s)" suggests that it is the army of the colonizing country. – 0.. Nov 14 '19 at 17:50

From merriam-webster.com we see the word OVERLORD has two definitions, and the second definition has two parts. I present for your consideration definition 2 - part a. "an absolute or supreme ruler". In this definition NO detail is included relating to: a person, a committee, a governmental body, etc. With that, I submit that OVERLORD fits just right into your: "Quebec's ________ was France." If two words are permissible for your purpose you may prefer OVERRIDING GOVERNMENT, as merriam-webster.com offers 4 definitions for the word OVERRIDE the verb, the third definition having three parts, part a. being: to prevail over : DOMINATE


Looks like metropole could be the word you're looking for. It's generally used to highlight the ruling aspect of colonial relations.


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