polarized

[poh-luh-rahyzd]

adjective

1. of or relating to a medium that exhibits polarization.

2. (of an electric plug or outlet) designed so that the plug and outlet fit together in only one way.

Other Word Forms

• nonpolarized adjective
• unpolarized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of polarized¹

First recorded in 1920–25; polarize + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Such is the price of the polarized moment we find ourselves in, made worse by social media’s allure.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

America’s increasingly polarized economy is leaving its mark on the lodging business, where luxury hotels are charging a record-high premium.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But we live in an increasingly fragmented as well as polarized world.

Read more on MarketWatch

Newton’s third law almost fits our polarized politics: For every action there is an extreme and opposite reaction.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In a sharply polarized, narrowly divided chamber, that has become an almost insurmountable hurdle for all but the most bipartisan bills.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• contradictory