radicalization

American  

[rad-i-kuh-luh-zey-shuhn] / ˌræd ɪ kə ləˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, radicalisation

noun

1. the act or process of becoming more extreme, as in beliefs, actions, or politics.

   The group tries to counter radicalization by promoting nonviolence and tolerance through peer-to-peer education.

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Etymology

Origin of radicalization

radical ( def. ) + -ization ( def. )

Explanation

The process of a person's views becoming more and more extreme is radicalization. Terrorism is one result of religious or political radicalization. Radicalization pushes people to one end or another of the political spectrum, or to an extreme or strict version of a religion. While this can have good or bad consequences (revolutions and social change often require radical action), the noun radicalization is frequently used in a negative way, to describe beliefs that lead to violent extremism. The Latin root of radicalization means "root," from the sense of "change from the roots."