What does hellenize mean?
Hellenize is a transitive verb meaning to make something Greek or Hellenic in character, culture, language, or institutions. It is used especially in historical discussions of the spread of Greek influence beyond mainland Greece. Saying that a society or ruler hellenized a region usually implies more than translating names into Greek: it suggests the adoption or adaptation of Greek customs, political models, education, language, and cultural practices. The related noun hellenization names the wider process, as in the Hellenization of the territories conquered by Alexander the Great and of Egypt under the Ptolemies. Although the verb can be used broadly, it is most common in formal historical writing about the ancient Mediterranean and its neighboring regions. The term does not necessarily imply that a population became ethnically Greek; it primarily concerns cultural and institutional change. Thus, “hellenize” is especially useful when describing the transmission of Greek influence and the transformation of existing communities under it.
verbTo make something Greek or Hellenic in character, culture, or language. It is especially used of the historical spread and adoption of Greek customs, institutions, and influence.
- To make something Greek or Hellenic in character, culture, language, or institutions.
"The Ptolemies sought to hellenize Egypt, though Egyptian religious traditions remained powerful."
"Successive rulers sought to hellenize the city while accommodating its existing religious traditions."
"The scholar argued that the region had been hellenized through the gradual spread of Greek institutions and language."
The Ptolemies tried to hellenize Egypt, but Egypt’s ancient religious traditions proved remarkably persistent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hellenize come from?
The English verb was formed from Hellenic, meaning “Greek,” together with the suffix -ize. Hellenic comes through Latin Hellēnicus from Greek Hellēnikos, an adjective derived from Hellēn, “a Greek.” The same Greek root underlies English words such as Hellenism, Hellenist, and Hellenistic.
Related word forms
How hellenize is actually used
Usually transitive and chiefly historical or literary in tone. It commonly describes the cultural or institutional transformation of a people, place, or society through Greek influence.
Easily confused with hellenize
Hellenic is an adjective meaning Greek or relating to ancient Greece, whereas hellenize is a verb describing the act of making something Greek in character or culture.