What does denationalise mean?
Denationalise is a formal verb meaning to remove an industry, service, or asset from state or national ownership, typically by transferring it into private hands. It is the reverse of nationalise, which brings enterprises under government control. The word is most at home in political and economic writing: governments denationalise airlines, railways, utilities, and banks, usually as part of a wider free-market reform agenda. A secondary sense — to strip something of its national character or identity — appears in discussions of treaties, institutions, and culture, but it is considerably rarer. British English spells the word with '-ise' ('denationalise'), while American English prefers 'denationalize'. The noun form is denationalisation. Because the term carries strong ideological overtones, it often signals a writer's framing of economic policy: supporters present denationalisation as modernisation and efficiency, while opponents describe it as the sell-off of public assets.
verbTo transfer an industry, service, or asset from state or national ownership and control into private hands; more broadly, to deprive a person or thing of national status or character.
- (of a government) to transfer ownership of an industry or enterprise from the public sector to private ownership.
- to deprive of national character, status, or allegiance.
"The government moved to denationalise the railways, selling the network to private operators."
"The new administration pledged to denationalise the coal mines within five years."
"Critics feared the treaty would denationalise cultural institutions, placing them under supranational control."
When Britain denationalised its industries in the 1980s, the word 'privatisation' became so associated with Margaret Thatcher's programme that it entered languages worldwide.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of denationalise
Denationalise combines the privative prefix 'de-' with 'national', which derives from 'nation', ultimately from Latin 'natio' (birth, race, people), from 'nasci' (to be born). The word took shape in English in the 19th century alongside debates about state ownership of industry, and gained prominence in the 20th century as governments reversed earlier waves of nationalisation.
Related word forms
How denationalise is actually used
The '-ise' spelling is standard in British English; American English typically uses 'denationalize'. The term belongs to formal political and economic discourse and is most often used of large-scale state assets such as utilities, transport networks, and banks.
Easily confused with denationalise
'Nationalise' means to bring an industry under state ownership — the exact opposite of 'denationalise', which transfers it out of government control.