polarization

American  

[poh-ler-uh-zey-shuhn] / ˌpoʊ lər əˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a sharp division, as of a population or group, into opposing factions.

2. Optics. a state, or the production of a state, in which rays of light or similar radiation exhibit different properties in different directions.

3. Electricity.

   1. the deposit of gases, produced during electrolysis, on the electrodes of a cell, increasing the resistance of the cell.

   2. a vector quantity indicating the electric dipole moment per unit of volume of a dielectric.

   3. the induction of polarity in a ferromagnetic substance.

4. the production or acquisition of polarity.

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polarization British  

/ ˌpəʊləraɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. the condition of having or giving polarity

2. physics the process or phenomenon in which the waves of light or other electromagnetic radiation are restricted to certain directions of vibration, usually specified in terms of the electric field vector

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polarization Scientific  

/ pō′lər-ĭ-zā′shən /

1. A condition in which transverse waves vibrate consistently in a single plane, or along a circle or ellipse. Electromagnetic radiation such as light is composed of transverse waves and can be polarized. Certain kinds of light filters, including sunglasses that reduce glare, work by filtering out light that is polarized in one direction.

2. The displacement of positive and negative electric charge to opposite ends of a nuclear, atomic, molecular, or chemical system, especially by subjection to an electric field. Atoms and molecules have some inherent polarization.

3. An increased resistance to the flow of current in a voltaic cell, caused by chemical reactions at the electrodes. Polarization results in a reduction of the electric potential across the voltaic cell.

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polarization ¹ Cultural  

1. The direction in which the electrical field of an electromagnetic wave points.

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polarization ² Cultural  

1. In politics, the grouping of opinions around two extremes: “As the debate continued, the union members were polarized into warring factions.”

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Discover More

Reflected light, such as the light that produces glare on a sunny day, is polarized so that the electrical field is parallel to the ground. Some sunglasses are designed to take advantage of this property by blocking out that particular polarization while allowing other light to come through.

Other Word Forms

• depolarization
  noun
• repolarization
  noun

Etymology

Origin of polarization

First recorded in 1805–15; polarize + -ation

Explanation

Polarization happens when people become divided into contrasting groups. If a teacher lets the class vote on whether to have class outside or not, and half wants to stay and the other half wants to go, that issue caused polarization. Polarization is a concept that comes from science, and it involves light, radiation, or magnetism moving in specific directions. Outside science, polarization usually refers to how people think, especially when two views emerge that drive people apart, kind of like two opposing magnets. When Democrats and Republicans fight, it can cause polarization. A Civil War is a serious form of polarization. Polarization involves people moving in two directions — they're becoming almost as separate as the North and South Pole.

Example Sentences

“The path from joking to dead serious gets carved out little by little,” said Pasha Dashtgard, the director of interventions at the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University.

From Slate • Dec. 5, 2025

Polarization describes light waves oscillating perpendicularly to the direction it is traveling.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2023

Can you elaborate on the Normalization, Polarization, Demonization, and Violence model that you apply in your new research?

From Salon • Aug. 10, 2023

In his book The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization, Coleman contends that while these issues are complex, reengaging with the other side can make a difference.

From Scientific American • Oct. 31, 2022

Polarization, chromatic, results of its discovery, 52; experiments on the light of comets, 105, 106.

From COSMOS: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe, Vol. 1 by Humboldt, Alexander von

Related Words

• emission