Showing results for "polarizing"

• present participle of polarize.

polarizing

American  

[poh-luh-rahy-zing] / ˈpoʊ ləˌraɪ zɪŋ /

especially British, polarising

adjective

1. tending to divide people into sharply opposing factions.

   Here are some tips to keep polarizing political discourse from disrupting your workplace.

2. causing polarization of light or similar radiation.

   If there is glare, you can use a polarizing filter on the camera to reduce or even remove it.

3. causing magnetic or electric polarity in a body or system.

   The control system consists of a feedback loop that uses real-time polarizing electric fields as a controlling force.

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noun

1. the act, fact, or practice of dividing people into sharply opposing factions.

   If rational argument fails, he can always fall back on the techniques of mockery and polarizing.

Other Word Forms

• nonpolarizing
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of polarizing

First recorded in 1720–30; polariz(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; polariz(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polarizing

So what about Hurts engenders so much criticism and makes him such a polarizing figure?

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

The film suffered from polarizing critical reviews, notching a 53% on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Researchers polish a section of pottery until it is roughly half the width of a human hair, allowing light from a polarizing microscope to pass through it.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Lane Kiffin, the school’s polarizing new head coach, lived up to his reputation as a master of loopholes by recruiting players straight out of NFL training camps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

They wore shiny, textured gray-blue suits and wide ties and sported long sideburns and slightly too large brown- tinted polarizing glasses.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

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Related Words

• part
• separate

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