verb · 4 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
pə-lĭt'ĭsīz'
/pəˈlɪtɪˌsaɪz/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P AH0 L IH1 T IH0 S AY2 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To engage in or discuss politics.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To give something political characteristics; to turn into a political issue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
My parents started politicizing the weather as soon as they opened their snowplow business.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To make someone politically active or aware.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
give a political character to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
politicize the discussion
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: politicise
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English politic Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English politicize From politic + -ize.
Across languages
Translations
38 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
занима́вам се с поли́тика
(zanimávam se s polítika)
— to engage in or discuss politics
Finnish:
politikoida
— to engage in or discuss politics
Hungarian:
politizál
— to engage in or discuss politics
Macedonian:
бистри политика
(bistri politika)
— to engage in or discuss politics
Russian:
занима́ться поли́тикой
(zanimátʹsja polítikoj)
— to engage in or discuss politics
Arabic:
سَيَّسَ
(sayyasa)
— to give something political characteristics
Belarusian:
палітызава́ць
(palityzavácʹ)
— to give something political characteristics
Bulgarian:
политизи́рам
(politizíram)
— to give something political characteristics
Catalan:
polititzar
— to give something political characteristics
Chinese Mandarin:
政治化
(zhèngzhìhuà)
— to give something political characteristics
Czech:
politizovat
— to give something political characteristics
Finnish:
politisoida
— to give something political characteristics
French:
politiser
— to give something political characteristics
Galician:
politizar
— to give something political characteristics
German:
politisieren
— to give something political characteristics
Greek:
πολιτικοποιώ
(politikopoió)
— to give something political characteristics
Italian:
politicizzare
— to give something political characteristics
Japanese:
政治化する
(seijika suru)
— to give something political characteristics
Korean:
정치화하다
(jeongchihwahada)
— to give something political characteristics
Macedonian:
политизи́ра
(politizíra)
— to give something political characteristics
Occitan:
politizar
— to give something political characteristics
Polish:
upolityczniać
— to give something political characteristics
Polish:
upolitycznić
— to give something political characteristics
Portuguese:
politizar
— to give something political characteristics
Romanian:
politiza
— to give something political characteristics
Russian:
политизи́ровать
(politizírovatʹ)
— to give something political characteristics
Spanish:
politizar
— to give something political characteristics
Swedish:
politisera
— to give something political characteristics
Ukrainian:
політизува́ти
(polityzuváty)
— to give something political characteristics
Catalan:
polititzar
— to make someone politically active
Finnish:
politisoida
— to make someone politically active
Galician:
politizar
— to make someone politically active
German:
politisieren
— to make someone politically active
Greek:
πολιτικοποιώ
(politikopoió)
— to make someone politically active
Italian:
politicizzare
— to make someone politically active
Portuguese:
politizar
— to make someone politically active
Spanish:
politizar
— to make someone politically active
Swedish:
politisera
— to make someone politically active