What does communalize mean?
To communalize is to take something held privately and place it under common ownership or control, whether by an entire community or by the state acting on its behalf. The term is most familiar from political and economic history, where it describes the transfer of land, factories, or resources from individual proprietors into collective hands — as when revolutionary governments communalized estates or industries. In broader usage it can describe any move to make a resource shared rather than exclusive, such as turning a private garden into a space for all residents. Formal and somewhat rare, the word sits alongside near-synonyms like "nationalize", "collectivize", and "socialize", though those typically imply action by the state, whereas communalize emphasizes the community itself. Its opposite is privatize. Because of its ties to socialist thought, the word often carries ideological weight, making tone important when deploying it in writing.
verbTo make something communal; especially to transfer private property, industry, or services into common ownership or control by a community or the state.
- (transitive) To transfer land, industry, or other property from private ownership to common or state ownership.
- (more generally) To make something shared or held in common by a group or community.
"After the revolution, the new government moved quickly to communalize the large estates."
"The regime sought to communalize farmland within a decade of taking power."
"The residents voted to communalize the courtyard so all families could use it freely."
Communalize is what revolutionaries do on paper and neighbors do in practice — from nationalizing industries to sharing a lawnmower down the street.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of communalize
Communalize derives from "communal", which traces back through French "communautaire"-related forms to Latin "communis", meaning "shared by all" or "common". It was formed with the verbal suffix "-ize" (from Greek-derived "-izein" via French "-iser") to mean "to make communal". It shares this Latin root with related English words such as "commune", "community", and "communicate". The verb arose in the modern era alongside the political movements that made collective ownership a live issue, and it is attested chiefly from the late nineteenth century onward.
Related word forms
How communalize is actually used
The word is formal and relatively rare, appearing most often in political history, economics, and sociology. It carries strong associations with socialist and communist policy, so its connotations can be ideological depending on context. The British spelling is "communalise".
Easily confused with communalize
"Communalise" is simply the British spelling of the same verb, differing only in the -ise/-ize ending.