Dictionary

polarize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• [ˈpɐʉ̯.lə.ɹɑe̯z] (Australia) some speakers
• [ˈpɐʉ̯.lə.ɹɑe̯z] (New-Zealand)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈpoʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/ (Canada, General-American)
• [ˈpəʉ̯.lə.ɹɑe̯z] (Australia)
• /ˈpəʉ.lə.ɹɑez/ (Australia)
• /ˈpəʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈpɐʉ.lə.ɹaɪz/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From French polariser, equivalent to polar + -ize.

Meanings

1. (US, transitive) To cause to have a polarization.
   • To polarize, and indeed, to artificially distinguish between the secular and the religious is to dismiss the inarguable Judeo-Christian foundation of contemporary secular institutions. 1979 August 11, Lisa Capaldini, “Lessons From History”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 4, page 4:
2. (US, transitive) To cause a group to be divided into extremes.
   • The deal has polarized Twitter employees, users, and regulators over the power tech giants wield in determining the parameters of acceptable discourse on the internet and how those companies enforce their rules. 2022 April 26, Cara Lombardo, Meghan Bobrowsky, Georgia Wells, “Musk Strikes Deal to Buy Twitter”, in The Wall Street Journal, volume 279, number 96, Dow Jones & Company, News Corp, page 1:

Forms

Deriveds

polarized light · zone of polarizing activity · hyperpolarize · polarizer · bipolarize · polarizable · repolarize · depolarize · mispolarize · polarization · polarizability

Translations (22)

eo polarizi (to cause to have a polarization) · fi polarisoida (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · cs polarizovat (to cause to have a polarization) · ca polaritzar (to cause to have a polarization) · gl polarizar (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · oc polarizar (to cause to have a polarization) · pl spolaryzować (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · pt polarizar (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · gl polarizar (to cause to have a polarization) · fi jakaa (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · pt polarizar (to cause to have a polarization) · bg поляризирам (to cause to have a polarization) · ca polaritzar (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · pl spolaryzować (to cause to have a polarization) · de polarisieren (to cause to have a polarization) · de polarisieren (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · pl polaryzować (to cause to have a polarization) · es polarizar (to cause to have a polarization) · tl sataluktukin (to cause to have a polarization) · es polarizar (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · pl polaryzować (to cause a group to be divided into extremes) · fi polarisoida (to cause to have a polarization)