decolonize

[ dee-kol-uh-nahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, de·col·o·nized, de·col·o·niz·ing.

1. to release (a country or region) from the status of a colony, or to allow (a colony) to become self-governing or independent.
2. to reexamine and make changes in (a subject field, tradition, etc.) so as to counter the belief that the culture of a colonizing power is more worthy or important than the culture of a colonized people: decoloniality ( def ).

   From seed cataloguing to sustainable fishing, Indigenous people are decolonizing their diets and preserving their folkways.

   There is a movement to decolonize the curriculum, urging Western academics to change their courses to better reflect the ideas and experiences of peoples from all parts of the globe.

verb (used without object)

, de·col·o·nized, de·col·o·niz·ing.

1. to free a colony to become self-governing or independent.

decolonize

/ diːˈkɒləˌnaɪz /

verb

1. tr to grant independence to (a colony)

Derived Forms

• deˌcoloniˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• de·col·o·ni·za·tion [dee-kol-, uh, -nahy-, zey, -sh, uh, n], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decolonize¹

First recorded in 1850–55; de- ( def ) + colonize ( def )

Example Sentences

To Gladstone, “My pronoun use is partly a way of decolonizing gender for myself,” she said.

From Salon

Scheid focused on the period of 1920-1960, a defining moment for Arabs who were decolonizing from European mandates but could not return to what was before, an era that “reeked of Ottoman patronage.”

From New York Times

Whether or not you are Native, Lopes said there are ways for all Americans to further decolonize the holiday.

From Salon

Harris said their diet was once filled with processed foods that triggered symptoms of fatigue, hives and stomach pains: “It was decolonize my diet or die,” they added.

From Seattle Times

This lack of self-awareness stands in stark contrast with European nations that decolonized and, although in fits and starts, today seek to atone for past injustices.

From Salon