westernize

verb

west·​ern·​ize ˈwe-stər-ˌnīz How to pronounce westernize (audio)
westernized; westernizing
often capitalized

transitive verb

: to imbue with qualities native to or associated with a western region and especially the noncommunist countries of Europe and America

intransitive verb

: to become westernized
westernizer noun often capitalized

Examples of westernize in a Sentence

He decided to westernize his name after moving from Japan to Canada. The city has begun to westernize.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Officials tried to westernize him, including by attempting to comb his hair flat, and falsely told him his parents had died in a house fire. — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2022 Beijing has seized on the images to portray the movement as a coddled, westernized middle class incited by foreign organizations and governments to rebel against the world’s largest communist country, China. — Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of westernize was in 1819

Rhymes for westernize

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Browse Nearby Words

westernization
westernize
western juniper
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Cite this Entry

“Westernize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/westernize. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

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