Denazified

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Freed from the influence, control, or policies of Nazism, especially by removing former Nazis from power or institutions
2. Cleared of Nazi ideology and associations, typically involving reforms and replacement of Nazi personnel
3. Stripped of Nazi elements and associations through processes aimed at eliminating Nazi presence or control

Etymology: "Denazified" is formed from the verb "denazify," which combines the prefix "de-" (meaning "remove" or "undo") with "Nazify," itself built on "Nazi" plus the suffix "-ify" (from Latin "-ificare," "to make"). The base "Nazi" comes from German, a clipped form of "Nationalsozialist," the first element of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) founded in 1920. Its use as a verb is a product of the period after the Second World War. The word took shape in the years after 1945, when the Allied occupying powers set out to remove Nazi ideology and personnel from German public life. The Allies' program was formally called "denazification," and the verb and adjective followed from that policy name. The adjective is most often applied to a government, an institution, a school system, or a person who has been cleared of Nazi affiliation, and the word is still used when historians or journalists describe such processes in any country.

Synonyms: de-Nazi, cleansed of Nazism, rehabilitated, purged, redeemed