politicize

verb

po·​lit·​i·​cize pə-ˈli-tə-ˌsīz How to pronounce politicize (audio)
politicized; politicizing

transitive verb

: to give a political tone or character to
an attempt to politicize the civil service
politicization noun

Examples of politicize in a Sentence

They have politicized the budget process.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As has been the case in the last half-century of U.S. industrial policies, measures that were technocratic and hidden in the tax code were more difficult to politicize and remove than highly visible consumer incentives or large public grants to individual companies. Nils Kupzok, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2025 At a heated and highly politicized higher education hearing in November, just two months before the new Texas legislative session got started, one interim charge seemed to garner rare resounding agreement: K-12 student pathways to higher education must be improved. Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 Risks of politicizing the Fed That would be especially true if the next Fed chair were to immediately follow the president’s dictate to cut rates. Ron Insana, CNBC, 11 July 2025 When the topics get politicized, Brown said, the expertise faculty members have in curriculum and in their fields can be lost, as well as the importance of ethnic studies in preparing students for a diverse workforce and world. Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for politicize

Word History

Etymology

politic or politic(s) + -ize

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of politicize was in 1846

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Politicize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politicize. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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