Politize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To bring a particular issue into the realm of political concern or influence public discourse related to governance in a way that fosters political debate or activism
2. To transform a topic into a political issue that demands public attention and influences perceptions about governance, thereby stimulating political dialogue or actions
3. To cause an issue or topic to be regarded in political terms, often encouraging debate or engagement with political matters

Etymology: "Politize" combines "politic" with the suffix "-ize," which forms verbs meaning to make something or to treat it in a certain way. "Politic" comes from Latin "politicus," itself from Greek "politikos," meaning "of citizens" or "of the city-state," from "polis," the city. The verb's core idea is therefore to make something a matter of the city and its citizens. The suffix descends from Greek "-izein," which passed into Latin as "-izare" and then into English, where it became a productive way to coin verbs such as "modernize" and "systemize." These verbs usually describe a change of state. "Politize" follows that pattern by turning an ordinary subject into one of public contention. It is a less common variant of "politicize," which has the same meaning and is the form more often found in dictionaries.

Synonyms: politicize