Meanings
alternative McDonald's-ization · alternative McDonalds-ization · alternative McDonaldsization · alternative McDonaldisation · alternative McDonaldsisation · alternative MacDonaldization · alternative Macdonaldization
- uncountablehuman sciencesThe process by which institutions in society become standardized and focused on efficiency and predictability.
1 more example
Almost all social institutions (for example, education, sports, politics, and religion) were adapting McDonald's principles to their operations. And McDonaldization was spreading around the world—fast-food croissanteries in Paris (of all places), Kentucky Fried Chicken in Beijing, McDonald’s in Beijing and Moscow.
1996, George Ritzer, “Preface to the First Edition”, in The McDonaldization of Society […] , revised edition, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge Press, →ISBN, page xviii
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- EnglishMcDonald
- EnglishMcDonald's
- EnglishMcDonaldization
From McDonald's + -ization. Popularized by the American sociologist George Ritzer in his book The McDonaldization of Society (1993), based on an essay of the same title he published in 1983.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Esperanto mikdonaldzigado
- mikdonaldzigadoprocess by which institutions in society become standardized and focused on efficiency and predictability
Polish makdonaldyzacja
- makdonaldyzacjaprocess by which institutions in society become standardized and focused on efficiency and predictability
Cite this entry
McDonaldization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McDonaldization
“McDonaldization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McDonaldization. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “McDonaldization,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McDonaldization.
Source: McDonaldization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.