westernization

[ wes-ter-nahy-zey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the process of adopting, or of influencing others to adopt, ideas and practices characteristic of Europe and North America:

   Once preferred by most women in India, the sari became less popular due to westernization, with young women now preferring other attire such as skirts or pants.

Word History and Origins

Origin of westernization¹

westerniz(e) ( def ) + -ation ( def )

Example Sentences

"We call it the westernization of Soviet products."

From Reuters

All those shows are remarkably eclectic, telling stories depicting Brothers Grimm fairy tales, cannibalism in Victorian London, the westernization of 19th-century Japan and a Hollywood songwriter’s fractured friendships.

From Washington Post

The musical, also produced and directed by Prince, was not a financial success, but it demonstrated Sondheim’s commitment to offbeat material, filtering its tale of the westernization of Japan through a hybrid American-Kabuki style.

From Seattle Times

Dispute: The widely revered novelist and right-wing nationalist was very unhappy about the westernization of his country following its defeat in World War II. And he didn’t just write about it.

From Los Angeles Times

I’d been warned that the IV would be the start of the medicalization of my baby’s birth—the westernization of my womb—and it was true: everything followed from that.

From Salon