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
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
Jackie BischofThe 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
Kanishk TharoorExamples of decolonization in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Diné scholar Melanie Yazzie challenges notions about the relationship between decolonization and development.
—JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
Négritude and most decolonization movements were born in the West.
—Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Earth Restorer’s Guide turns its eye globally and offers insights on such large topics as decolonization, climate change, and economic inequality.
—Catherine Habgood
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
In the same era of fitful decolonization that began in the late Forties, the power of the old masters of the universe grew at a historically unprecedented rate.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
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JSTOR Daily, 11 Oct. 2025
Négritude and most decolonization movements were born in the West.
—Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Earth Restorer’s Guide turns its eye globally and offers insights on such large topics as decolonization, climate change, and economic inequality.
—Catherine Habgood
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
In the same era of fitful decolonization that began in the late Forties, the power of the old masters of the universe grew at a historically unprecedented rate.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decolonization
Cite this Entry
“Decolonization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decolonization. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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