decolonize

American  

[dee-kol-uh-nahyz] / diˈkɒl əˌnaɪz /

especially British, decolonise

verb (used with object)

decolonized, decolonizing

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

2. 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.

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verb (used without object)

decolonized, decolonizing

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

decolonize British  

/ diːˈkɒləˌnaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to grant independence to (a colony)

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Other Word Forms

• decolonization
  noun

Etymology

Origin of decolonize

First recorded in 1850–55; de- ( def. ) + colonize ( def. )

Explanation

To decolonize is to stop ruling over a territory and allow it to be independent. The main goal of the American Revolutionary War was to get the British to decolonize the territory later known as the United States. Before the Revolutionary War, the future U.S. was composed of thirteen British colonies. When a colony breaks away from the colonial empire that controls it (or if the empire itself breaks apart), it decolonizes. This verb is also increasingly used for the process of reclaiming a culture that's been lost while under the control of another country. When indigenous people decolonize, they often relearn native languages and redefine themselves as part of their traditional community.

Example Sentences

Whether or not you are Native, Lopes said there are ways for all Americans to further decolonize the holiday.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2023

HONIARA, Solomon Islands — Millicent Barty has spent years trying to decolonize her country, recording oral histories across the Solomon Islands and promoting Melanesian culture.

From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2022

In the post–World War II world, many island territories were the last to decolonize.

From Slate • May 21, 2022

“I work to decolonize and root my practice in my ancestral homelands and community. I aim to uplift my tribe’s stories, memory, and undo erasure of Indigenous knowledge and connection to our lands.”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 3, 2022

His central theme was that no new African nation, trying to decolonize itself, needed any political system that would permit division and bickering.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey