balkanize
verb
bal·kan·ize
ˈbȯl-kə-ˌnīz
balkanized; balkanizing
often capitalized
1
: to break up (a region, a group, etc.) into smaller and often hostile units
opposes the partition of Germany, and holds that the economic consequences of Balkanizing the country would be serious—
Times Literary Supplement
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
Podcast
Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share