Standard Lemma guide

depolarization

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Canada: /diˌpoʊlɚˌaɪˈzeɪʃən/
  • UK: /diːˌpəʊ.ləɹaɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of reducing polarity, or the result of such action; reduction to an unpolarized or less polarized condition.

An intracellular shift in electrical charge distribution, resulting in less negative charge inside the cell compared with outside; it is essential to the function of many cells, communication between cells, and the overall physiology of an organism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of reducing polarity, or the result of such action; reduction to an unpolarized or less polarized condition.

Reduction of political polarization.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a loss of polarity or polarization

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: depolarisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English polarization English depolarization From de- + polarization.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: despolarització — act of depolarizing
  • French: dépolarisation — act of depolarizing
  • Galician: despolarización — act of depolarizing
  • Northern Kurdish: berevajîbûna cemsergeriyê — act of depolarizing
  • Swedish: depolarisering — act of depolarizing