polarize — UK US (UK also polarise) /ˈpəʊləraɪz/ verb [T] ► to cause people or opinions to be divided into two opposing groups: »The subject of interest rates continues to polarize the business community … Financial and business terms
Polarize — Po lar*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Polarized}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Polarizing}.] [Cf. F. polariser.] To communicate polarity to. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
polarize — verb break up into opposing factions, contrapose, contrast, oppose, pit against one another, put in opposition Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
polarize — (v.) 1811, from Fr. polariser, coined by French physicist Étienne Louis Malus (1775 1812) as a term in optics. Transferred sense of to accentuate a division in a group or system is first recorded 1949 in Arthur Koestler. Related: Polarized;… … Etymology dictionary
polarize — (Amer.) po·lar·ize || pəʊlÉ™raɪz v. separate into opposing groups, contrapose; give polarity to something, cause an item to have unequally distributed characteristics (also polarise) … English contemporary dictionary
polarize — (also polarise) ► VERB 1) divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of beliefs. 2) Physics restrict the vibrations of (a transverse wave, especially light) to one direction. 3) give magnetic or electric polarity to. DERIVATIVES… … English terms dictionary
polarize — [pō′lə rīz΄] vt. polarized, polarizing [Fr polariser < polaire < ML polaris, POLAR] 1. to give polarity to; produce polarization in 2. to cause to divide into two opposing groups, as through a disagreement over policy vi. to acquire… … English World dictionary
polarize — v. (D; intr., tr.) to polarize into (polarized into opposing camps) * * * [ pəʊləraɪz] (D; intr., tr.) to polarize into (polarized into opposing camps) … Combinatory dictionary
polarize — UK [ˈpəʊləraɪz] / US [ˈpoʊləˌraɪz] verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms polarize : present tense I/you/we/they polarize he/she/it polarizes present participle polarizing past tense polarized past participle polarized to form two very… … English dictionary
polarize — verb Polarize is used with these nouns as the object: ↑country, ↑society … Collocations dictionary
polarize — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. orient, align, concentrate, gather; split, separate, dichotomize, oppose. See opposition. II (Roget s 3 Superthesaurus) (VOCABULARY WORD) v. [POH luh RIZE] to take opposing sides. Certain issues have… … English dictionary for students
