decolonization

noun

de·​col·​o·​ni·​za·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌkä-lə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

: the act or practice of decolonizing

[Frantz] Fanon also described mental decolonization, the shedding of the colonizer's values and practices …

—Jackie Byars

[Ngũgĩ wa] Thiong'o is a passionate advocate for African authors writing in their native tongue as a form of preserving culture and achieving linguistic decolonization. "Language, any language, has a dual character: it is both a means of communication and a carrier of culture," he has written.

—Jackie Bischof

The 20th century may be defined in the West by the World Wars and the Cold War, but for much of the rest of the planet it was the age of decolonization, when old structures of (often racial) domination and power gave way to new states, new nations, and new politics.

—Kanishk Tharoor

Examples of decolonization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Qilavaq-Savard is a writer, director and producer whose work explores decolonization and Indigenous narratives. —Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026

Qilavaq-Savard explores decolonization and Indigenous narratives. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026

Antisemitism is renovated with concepts such as equity, decolonization and liberation, despite promoting the same traditional antisemitic tropes. —Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026

Portuguese decolonization and Indonesian interference Since 1520 the Portuguese had maintained a presence on the island of Timor, later obtaining sovereignty over its eastern half in the 19th century and ceding the western half to the Netherlands. —Agathe Demarolle, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for decolonization

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization