Maoization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process by which a person, group or country comes to adopt the ideology and practices of Mao Zedong ; the forcible reshaping of institutions or society to follow Maoist doctrine
2. Becoming committed to Maoist thought and methods over time ; the enforced conversion of a movement or nation so that it conforms to Maoist principles
3. The gradual embrace of Maoist beliefs and politics by individuals or societies ; the imposition of Maoist orthodoxy on institutions and everyday life

Etymology: "Maoization" is formed from "Maoize," a verb meaning to make something conform to the political ideas and methods of Mao Zedong, the Chinese Communist leader, combined with the suffix "-ation," which turns a verb into a noun for the process or result of an action. The pattern is the same as "Stalinization" or "Westernization": a leader's name becomes a verb, and the verb is nominalized. The base word therefore carries the whole meaning. Mao Zedong's name, lent to a verb form, names a process of ideological transformation, often applied to a society, party or institution that adopts Maoist doctrine or practice. The noun itself is simple in structure, and the interest lies in the name it is built on rather than in any unusual twist in the word's own history.