Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

polarize

/ˈpoʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.25 in modern English

Syllables: po-lar-ize
IPA: /ˈpoʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/

19

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To cause to have a polarization.

American usage; Transitive verb

verb

To cause a group to be divided into extremes.

American usage; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"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."
"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."

Etymology

From French polariser, equivalent to polar + -ize.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: polariser

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈpoʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/
British English: /ˈpəʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/

Usage

American usage
Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

polarizes (present, singular) polarizing (participle, present) polarized (participle, past) polarized (past) polarise (alternative)

Derived Forms

bipolarize depolarize hyperpolarize mispolarize polarizability polarizable polarization polarizer repolarize

Phrases

polarized light zone of polarizing activity

Synonyms

polarise

Questions

How do you pronounce polarize?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpoʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/.
What does polarize mean?: To cause to have a polarization.
Where does polarize come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce polarize

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “polarize”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpoʊ.lə.ɹaɪz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “polarize”.
Repeat and practice — Say “polarize” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.