Occidentalized

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. The adaptation of non-Western cultures and practices to fit within Western norms and values
2. The shift of societal traits or traditions to mirror those prevalent in Western civilization
3. The process in which cultural characteristics from non-Western societies are transformed to align with Western ideologies and practices

Etymology: "Occidentalized" is the past tense and past participle of "occidentalize," so it is the form of the verb meaning to make something conform to Western culture. The verb is built from "occidental," which comes from Latin "occidentalis," meaning "western," itself from "occidens," the setting sun or the west, derived from "occidere," to fall down or set. The Latin sense of the sun going down gave the word its directional meaning, and "occidental" came into English to describe the West in contrast to the East. The suffix "-ize" comes from Greek "-izein," which turned nouns and adjectives into verbs meaning to make or to treat in a certain way. Adding it to "occidental" produced a verb meaning to render something Western in character, so "occidentalized" describes something that has been reshaped to match Western customs, values, or practices.