Main Entry:

bal·kan·ize

Pronunciation:

\ˈbȯl-kə-ˌnīz\

Function:

transitive verb

Inflected Form(s):

bal·kan·ized; bal·kan·iz·ing

Usage:

often capitalized

Etymology:

Balkan Peninsula

Date:

1919

1 : to break up (as a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units 2 : divide, compartmentalize <now pop culture has been balkanized; it is full of niches, with different groups watching and playing their own things — Richard Corliss>

— bal·kan·i·za·tion \ˌbȯl-kə-nə-ˈzā-shən\ noun often capitalized