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
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Kennedy had entered office hoping to alter Washington’s reputation in the developing world by encouraging reform movements and decolonization as a way to outflank Moscow.
—Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2025
By 1953, as decolonization swept the world, the Danish government, loath to give up ninety-eight per cent of its landmass, made Greenland a semi-autonomous part of its kingdom but retained de-facto control.
—Louise Bokkenheuser, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2025
By the 1970s, the global South had organized under various groupings, including the G-77 at the UN, to achieve significant victories: decolonization became enshrined in international law and the principle of nonintervention in the internal affairs of sovereign states emerged as a global norm.
—Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Collectively, these films cover topics such as Native American rights, media reporting on transgender issues, decolonization, disabled communities and navigating Hollywood as a deaf actor.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
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Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2025
By 1953, as decolonization swept the world, the Danish government, loath to give up ninety-eight per cent of its landmass, made Greenland a semi-autonomous part of its kingdom but retained de-facto control.
—Louise Bokkenheuser, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2025
By the 1970s, the global South had organized under various groupings, including the G-77 at the UN, to achieve significant victories: decolonization became enshrined in international law and the principle of nonintervention in the internal affairs of sovereign states emerged as a global norm.
—Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Collectively, these films cover topics such as Native American rights, media reporting on transgender issues, decolonization, disabled communities and navigating Hollywood as a deaf actor.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 30 Jan. 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 20 May. 2025.
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