decolonize

[ dee-kol-uh-nahyz ]

/ diˈkɒl əˌnaɪz /

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verb (used with object), de·col·o·nized, de·col·o·niz·ing.

to release (a country or region) from the status of a colony, or to allow (a colony) to become self-governing or independent.

to reexamine and make changes in (a subject field, tradition, etc.) so as to counter the belief that the culture of a colonizing power is more worthy or important than the culture of a colonized people: From seed cataloguing to sustainable fishing, Indigenous people are decolonizing their diets and preserving their folkways.There is a movement to decolonize the curriculum, urging Western academics to change their courses to better reflect the ideas and experiences of peoples from all parts of the globe.See also decoloniality.

verb (used without object), de·col·o·nized, de·col·o·niz·ing.

to free a colony to become self-governing or independent.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also especially British, de·col·o·nise . Rarely decolonialize .

Origin of decolonize

First recorded in 1850–55; de- + colonize

OTHER WORDS FROM decolonize

de·col·o·ni·za·tion

[dee-kol-uh-nahy-zey-shuhn], /diˌkɒl ə naɪˈzeɪ ʃən/, noun

Words nearby decolonize

decollate snail, décolletage, décolleté, decoloniality, decolonialize, decolonize, decolor, decolorant, decolorize, decolour, decommission

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use decolonize in a sentence

Certainly, America’s government has never articulated an intention to decolonize.
Finding the American Dream in Canada|Sofia Ali-Khan|July 4, 2022|Time
It’s one action in a larger mission to decolonize science, which aims, in part, to create a more diverse and inclusive atmosphere in science.
The spongy moth’s new name replaces an ethnic slur|Jude Coleman|March 10, 2022|Science News
It’s an exciting moment to decolonize and write our own history in a place where I call home.
Shahana Hanif On Making History As New York City's First Muslim Woman Councilmember|Sanya Mansoor|November 5, 2021|Time
For “Other Leopards,” set in decolonizing Africa, you will have to follow what Emily Hyde describes as Denis Williams’ “jittery stream-of-consciousness style.”
‘B-Side Books’ adds to your must-read stack with the best books you’ve never heard of|Abby McGanney Nolan|June 10, 2021|Washington Post

Indeed, that would be a collective effort to decolonize chocolate and acknowledge the ancestral pathways critical to making the industry whole.
Meet Four Craft Chocolate Makers Decolonizing the Industry|Jinji Fraser|October 22, 2020|Eater
Pakistan, born in the scrabble to decolonize after World War II, has suffered from endless American and British meddling.
Sixty Years of Meddling and Bad Blood|Alex Von Tunzelmann|December 4, 2008|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for decolonize

decolonize

decolonise

/ (diːˈkɒləˌnaɪz) /

verb

(tr) to grant independence to (a colony)

Derived forms of decolonize

decolonization or decolonisation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012