radicalize

verb

rad·​i·​cal·​ize ˈra-di-kə-ˌlīz How to pronounce radicalize (audio)
radicalized; radicalizing

transitive verb

: to make radical especially in politics
radicalization noun

Examples of radicalize in a Sentence

The war has radicalized an entire generation of young people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Novels were written and movies were made about how an encounter with hostile, suspicious border officials could radicalize even those who previously loved America. Mihir Sharma, Mercury News, 7 May 2025 The Interior Ministry said that the boy, an Austrian with Turkish roots, was arrested in the capital on Feb. 10 and had been radicalized online. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 20 Feb. 2025 This creates a dangerous feedback loop in which extremism and violence are normalized through the glorification of historical events that celebrate acts of rebellion while strengthening identities that radicalize individuals. Art Jipson, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2025 McVeigh was a Gulf War veteran who had become radicalized by anti-government beliefs and hoped to inspire a revolution against the federal government with the bombing. Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for radicalize

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radicalize was in 1830

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Radicalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radicalize. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

radicalize

verb
rad·​i·​cal·​ize ˈrad-i-kə-ˌlīz How to pronounce radicalize (audio)
radicalized; radicalizing
: to make radical

More from Merriam-Webster on radicalize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!