radicalize
Other forms: radicalized; radicalizing; radicalizes
To radicalize someone is to shift a person or group's opinions toward either end of the political spectrum. The word comes up a lot during times of political upheaval or revolution when people’s opinions stray far from the mainstream.
To radicalize people is to cause a shift in their beliefs that make them want to take action for social reform. Once they’re radicalized, they'll want big political or social changes and work to make them happen. Personal experience is often radicalizing — sexism, racism, poverty, and perceived injustices radicalize many people to try to change the world. The word can have a darker meaning when radicalization leads to politically motivated violence.
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make more radical in social or political outlook
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Vocabulary lists containing radicalize
Following a wave of antisemitic attacks, fifteen-year-old Orthodox Jew Hoodie Rosen faces the ire of his family and community when he falls in love with a non-Jewish girl.
Seventeen-year-old aspiring journalist Safiya Mirza comes across a dead body in a Chicago park. Because it belonged to another Muslim teenager, the haunting sight guides her to uncover the truths behind the murder of Jawad Ali.
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