westernization

American  

[wes-ter-nahy-zey-shuhn] / ˌwɛs tər naɪˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, westernisation

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.

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Etymology

Origin of westernization

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

Explanation

Westernization is what happens when Eastern countries adopt cultural practices from Europe or North America. A McDonalds in Sri Lanka is an example of westernization. If someone from a non-Western country — one that's not in the Americas, Australasia, or most of Europe — takes on values, culture, or behavior that comes from Western society, that's westernization. This can happen in many different ways, including adopting English instead of a native language, wearing typically Western clothes, abandoning a religious belief in favor of Christianity, or even watching Hollywood movies. A major downside to westernization is that ancient traditions and practices can be lost.

Example Sentences

"We call it the westernization of Soviet products."

From Reuters • Nov. 15, 2023

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 • Mar. 2, 2023

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 • Nov. 26, 2021

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 • Apr. 30, 2019

Peter’s goal of westernization, of using western Europe as a model for change, was not an end in itself.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012