Ethnicize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To categorize or interpret a group, culture, or issue primarily in terms of ethnicity to emphasize ethnic distinctions and identities
2. To attribute ethnic characteristics or considerations to social, political, or cultural phenomena, highlighting ethnic distinctions or differences
3. To define or portray people, practices, or conflicts chiefly through the lens of ethnic identity, often stressing ethnic affiliation or background

Etymology: "Ethnicize" is simply "ethnic" with the verb-forming suffix "-ize" attached. "Ethnic" came into English from Late Latin "ethnicus", which in turn came from Greek "ethnikos", meaning "of nations or peoples" and, in Christian usage, "heathen" or "gentile", since the Greek "ethnos" originally referred to a group of people sharing a band or tribe rather than a state. The "-ize" ending, borrowed through Latin from Greek "-izein", turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make into, or treat as," so "ethnicize" means to make something ethnic or to interpret it in terms of ethnic identity. The verb follows this pattern closely, so its meaning is a direct extension of its parts: to take a subject that might be understood in other terms, such as class, politics, or personal history, and frame it primarily through ethnicity. Its formation is transparent and the word is a relatively recent coinage in English.

Synonyms: culturalize, racialize, tribalize, ethnify

Antonyms: deethnicize, assimilate, homogenize, integrate, unify