polarizing
Americanadjective
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tending to divide people into sharply opposing factions.
Here are some tips to keep polarizing political discourse from disrupting your workplace.
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causing polarization of light or similar radiation.
If there is glare, you can use a polarizing filter on the camera to reduce or even remove it.
-
causing magnetic or electric polarity in a body or system.
The control system consists of a feedback loop that uses real-time polarizing electric fields as a controlling force.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of polarizing
First recorded in 1720–30; polariz(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; polariz(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Nobel laureate is a deeply respected, superstar in the AI field but has less of a public profile in the U.S., where his peers have become more polarizing figures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
The fact that Jane Wickline, a featured player on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ is so polarizing is, in its way, a recommendation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Never before has a player so talented, at the peak of his powers, been so polarizing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Big personalities like Rousey and Conor McGregor helped him do it: both great fighters in their own right, both polarizing entertainers capable of generating big headlines.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026
They wore shiny, textured gray-blue suits and wide ties and sported long sideburns and slightly too large brown- tinted polarizing glasses.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
