Dictionary

westernize en · VERB

Etymology

Etymology tree English western Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English westernize From western + -ize.

Meanings

1. (intransitive, transitive) To render something western in character.
   • Users on Chinese social media expressed anger that the Netflix adaptation Westernized aspects of the story, and said the show sought to demonize some of the Chinese characters. 2024 April 1, David Pierson, “The Bizarre Chinese Murder Plot Behind Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • This was Joseph Needham's famous paradox. Why did China, with its ideals of spreading Confucian virtues across the world, fail to “Sinicise” the surrounding world and instead allow itself to be westernised? 2006 April, Jin Guoping, “Zheng He e a África Oriental [Zheng He and East Africa]”, in Richard Trewinnard, transl., Oriente, →ISSN, page 44:

Forms

Antonyms

dewesternize

Coordinates

easternize

Deriveds

Westernizer

Synonyms

occidentalize

Translations (13)

pt ocidentalizar (make something western) · fi länsimaistaa (make something western) · cmn 西化 (make something western) · ca occidentalitzar (make something western) · it occidentalizzare (make something western) · mk вестернизи́ра (make something western) · ro occidentaliza (make something western) · de verwestlichen (make something western) · es occidentalizar (make something western) · mk озападува (make something western) · tr batılılaştırmak (make something western) · da vestliggøre (make something western) · fr occidentaliser (make something western)