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.

---

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

---

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.

---

polarization ¹ Cultural  

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

---

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.”

---

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

Example Sentences

So I’ll leave us with a bit of his advice for the future: “Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism.”

From Los Angeles Times

These findings don’t contradict the concerning data on topics like mental health, loneliness and political polarization.

From The Wall Street Journal

This may sound ambitiously progressive, but speakers at the September launch emphasized pragmatism and concrete local projects to cut through the nation’s extreme polarization.

From Salon

The backlash highlights a broader challenge facing legacy news organizations: how to navigate polarization, platform contentious figures, and maintain advertiser confidence without sacrificing credibility.

From Salon

Because photons behave according to quantum mechanics, their polarization cannot be measured without leaving detectable traces.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• emission