Meanings
plural westernizations · alternative westernisation
- countableuncountableThe process of assimilation, by a society, of the customs and practices of western culture.
According to anthropology professor Peter Rigby, the Maasai's resistance to Westernization and their reluctance to enter the market system is ethnosuicide.
2005, Randall Elam Mayes, The Cybernetics of Kenyan Running: Hurry, Hurry Has No Blessing, page 921 more example
I would argue that Westernization as a cultural attribute was less important than the fact that these men had skills disposing them to what rule-based government and^([sic]) fear 'demagocracy' )
1964, The journal of Asian studies, volume 24, page 309
Synonyms & antonyms
nounassimilation of Western culture; the social process of becoming familiar with or converting to the customs and practices of Western civilization
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic تَغْرِيب
- تَغْرِيب (taḡrīb)assimilation of the western culture
Bulgarian уестърниза́ция
- уестърниза́ция (uestărnizácija)assimilation of the western culture
Catalan occidentalització
- occidentalitzacióassimilation of the western culture
Chinese Mandarin 西方化, 西化
- 西方化 (xīfānghuà)assimilation of the western culture
- 西化 (xīhuà)assimilation of the western culture
- 歐美化 /欧美化 (Ōu-Měi-huà)assimilation of the western culture
Czech westernizace
- westernizaceassimilation of the western culture
Dutch verwestersing, verwesterlijking
- verwestersingassimilation of the western culture
- verwesterlijkingassimilation of the western culture
Finnish länsimaistuminen, länsimaistaminen
- länsimaistuminenassimilation of the western culture
- länsimaistaminenassimilation of the western culture
French occidentalisation
- occidentalisationassimilation of the western culture
German Verwestlichung
- Verwestlichungassimilation of the western culture
Greek δυτικοποίηση
- δυτικοποίηση (dytikopoíisi)assimilation of the western culture
Hebrew הִתְמַעַרְבוּת
- הִתְמַעַרְבוּתassimilation of the western culture
Hindi पश्चिमीकरण
- पश्चिमीकरण (paścimīkraṇ)assimilation of the western culture
Italian occidentalizzazione
- occidentalizzazioneassimilation of the western culture
Japanese 西洋化, 欧米化
- 西洋化 (seiyōka)assimilation of the western culture
- 欧米化 (ōbeika)assimilation of the western culture
Korean 서양화, 구미화
- 서양화 (seoyanghwa)assimilation of the western culture
- 구미화 (gumihwa)assimilation of the western culture
Persian غربگرایی
- غربگرایی (ġarb-garâyi)assimilation of the western culture
Polish okcydentalizacja, westernizacja
- okcydentalizacjaassimilation of the western culture
- westernizacjaassimilation of the western culture
Portuguese ocidentalização
- ocidentalizaçãoassimilation of the western culture
Russian вестерниза́ция, западниза́ция
- вестерниза́ция (vɛstɛrnizácija)assimilation of the western culture
- западниза́ция (zapadnizácija)assimilation of the western culture
- европеиза́ция (jevropeizácija)assimilation of the western culture
- американиза́ция (amerikanizácija)assimilation of the western culture
- оксидентализа́ция (oksidɛntalizácija)assimilation of the western culture
Spanish occidentalización
- occidentalizaciónassimilation of the western culture
Turkish batılılaşma
- batılılaşmaassimilation of the western culture
Ukrainian вестерніза́ція
- вестерніза́ція (vesternizácija)assimilation of the western culture
Cite this entry
westernization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/westernization
“westernization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/westernization. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “westernization,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/westernization.
Source: westernization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.