decolonize

American  

[dee-kol-uh-nahyz] / diˈkɒl əˌnaɪz /

especially British, decolonise

verb (used with object)

decolonized, decolonizing

1. to release (a country or region) from the status of a colony, or to allow (a colony) to become self-governing or independent.

2. to reexamine and make changes in (a subject field, tradition, etc.) so as to counter the belief that the culture of a colonizing power is more worthy or important than the culture of a colonized people.

   From seed cataloguing to sustainable fishing, Indigenous people are decolonizing their diets and preserving their folkways.

   There is a movement to decolonize the curriculum, urging Western academics to change their courses to better reflect the ideas and experiences of peoples from all parts of the globe.

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verb (used without object)

decolonized, decolonizing

1. to free a colony to become self-governing or independent.

decolonize British  

/ diːˈkɒləˌnaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to grant independence to (a colony)

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Other Word Forms

• decolonization
  noun

Etymology

Origin of decolonize

First recorded in 1850–55; de- ( def. ) + colonize ( def. )

Explanation

To decolonize is to stop ruling over a territory and allow it to be independent. The main goal of the American Revolutionary War was to get the British to decolonize the territory later known as the United States. Before the Revolutionary War, the future U.S. was composed of thirteen British colonies. When a colony breaks away from the colonial empire that controls it (or if the empire itself breaks apart), it decolonizes. This verb is also increasingly used for the process of reclaiming a culture that's been lost while under the control of another country. When indigenous people decolonize, they often relearn native languages and redefine themselves as part of their traditional community.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decolonize decolonized decolonizing

Harris said their diet was once filled with processed foods that triggered symptoms of fatigue, hives and stomach pains: “It was decolonize my diet or die,” they added.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 7, 2023

In this new iteration, Namor, like Aquaman, becomes an Indigenous aquatic superhero who fights to decolonize the oceans and fights for a future of thriving biodiversity.

From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2023

“Here I was telling this trans character they have to decolonize themselves when they had done it years ago.”

From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2022

In the post–World War II world, many island territories were the last to decolonize.

From Slate ● May 21, 2022

His central theme was that no new African nation, trying to decolonize itself, needed any political system that would permit division and bickering.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

This lack of self-awareness stands in stark contrast with European nations that decolonized and, although in fits and starts, today seek to atone for past injustices.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2023

Twin events in D.C. and San Francisco around Martin Luther King Jr. Day seek to continue King’s work in new ways: by marching toward a future marked by decolonized communities and dance floors.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 11, 2023

The activists at MoMA or the Whitney may be demanding to “Decolonize this Place,” but Raphael Montañez Ortiz, despite his focus on destruction, has helped build for more than half a century a decolonized space.

From New York Times ● Jul. 28, 2022

As you work to develop your decolonized self, you will likely spend time on introspection, examining unconscious biases and how they affect your perspective on your culture and other cultures.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 21, 2021

By putting red dots over the faces of the slave-owning signers, Arlen Parsa, a Chicago-based documentary filmmaker, decolonized John Trumbull’s painting “Declaration of Independence,” which hangs in the rotunda of the U.S.

From Fox News ● Jun. 22, 2020

She’s currently at work on a novel set in the American Southwest about sisterhood and decolonizing identity through spirituality, ecology and art-making.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026

Conducting advanced molecular research in Africa on African fossils represents an important move toward transforming and decolonizing the field of paleontology.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2025

In some ways, by becoming a zombie version of Barbie, I effectively killed the classic, blonde beauty, decolonizing her not only in my mind, but also by subverting the costume for all to see.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2023

“Maybe decolonizing the Western thought concept of ‘age-appropriate’ tattoos could be enlightening,” Krutak said.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2022

“To get to the thought where I’m decolonizing the system, I had to come through the Western system,” Ms. Barty said.

From New York Times ● Sep. 11, 2022