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
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
The plight of the Palestinians will serve as a flash point, a symbol of inequities in the prevailing international order and, in the eyes of many across the developing world, the unfinished work of decolonization.
—Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
The Non-Aligned Movement, formed during the collapse of the colonial systems and at the height of the Cold War, has played a key part in decolonization processes, according to its website.
—Risdel Kasasira, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2024
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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
The plight of the Palestinians will serve as a flash point, a symbol of inequities in the prevailing international order and, in the eyes of many across the developing world, the unfinished work of decolonization.
—Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
The Non-Aligned Movement, formed during the collapse of the colonial systems and at the height of the Cold War, has played a key part in decolonization processes, according to its website.
—Risdel Kasasira, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for decolonization
Cite this Entry
“Decolonization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decolonization. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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