What does anglicisation mean?
Anglicisation is the process of making something English in form, usage, or cultural character. It is commonly applied to the adaptation of foreign names, words, institutions, titles, and customs, and it can also describe the development of a language or identity in an English direction. The term is especially associated with British English, although the same concept is understood throughout the English-speaking world; the usual US spelling is anglicization. Its tone depends on context. In discussions of language change, anglicisation may simply name a historical or structural process. In cultural or political criticism, however, it can suggest that distinctive local forms are being replaced by more familiar English ones. The word is useful because it identifies both the act of English-language adaptation and the broader social process by which other languages and cultures acquire English features.
nounThe process of making something English in form or character, especially by adapting a foreign name, word, institution, or idea to English usage.
- The process of adapting a word, name, institution, or other feature to an English form or usage.
- The process of becoming English in language, character, or cultural identity.
"The anglicisation of difficult foreign titles can make them easier for English-speaking readers to recognise."
"The exhibition explored the anglicisation of Indigenous place names and its effects on historical maps."
"For some critics, the anglicisation of the local cuisine has made it less distinctive."
The plural is possible but uncommon because the process is often treated as a mass noun.
"The report compares several anglicisations of foreign place names."
Anglicisation names the process by which foreign names and ideas take on English forms—and the word itself neatly demonstrates that process.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does anglicisation come from?
The word is formed from the English root Anglic, meaning “English,” together with the suffix -isation, which creates a noun of process or action. Its root ultimately comes from Latin Anglicus, referring to the Angles and, by extension, to the English. Related forms in English include English, England, Anglican, and Anglophone.
Related word forms
How anglicisation is actually used
The word is most common in British English and other varieties that use the spelling -isation; US English generally uses anglicization. It can be neutral when describing linguistic or cultural change, but it may have a critical connotation when the process is thought to replace or obscure distinctive non-English forms.
Easily confused with anglicisation
Anglicisation and anglicization have the same meaning; the former is the usual British spelling and the latter is the usual US spelling.
Anglicisation is a process of adaptation, whereas an anglicism is an English word, expression, or practice that has been borrowed or influenced by English.