What does radicalizing mean?
“Radicalizing” means making a person, organization, movement, or idea more radical. Its most common use is political or ideological: to radicalize young people is to encourage them to reject compromise and support increasingly extreme views, often with potentially disruptive consequences. The word can also describe a process that transforms something fundamentally, as when technology radicalizes an industry or a court decision radicalizes a debate. Its force comes partly from its historical connection with “root,” because a radical was originally something belonging to a root; by extension, the word describes ideas or changes that go to the foundations of a subject. In contemporary use, “radicalizing” often carries a warning tone, implying that influence is pushing participants or public discussion toward extremes. It is therefore more specific and potentially more evaluative than simply “changing” or “influencing.”
verbTo make someone or something more radical, especially by encouraging extreme political, social, or ideological views. It can also mean causing fundamental or far-reaching change.
- To make someone more radical in their political, social, or ideological beliefs.
- To cause something to undergo fundamental or far-reaching change.
"The campaign sought to radicalize young voters by presenting the reform as a struggle against entrenched power."
"Online rhetoric radicalized some members of the forum."
"The new technology radicalized the way newspapers distribute their reporting."
A radical began as a root; “radicalizing” describes the process of turning a belief or person into something more extreme.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does radicalizing come from?
The word belongs to the family of “radical,” from Latin radicalis, meaning “of or pertaining to a root,” an adjective derived from radix, “root.” The English verb “radicalize” developed during the 19th century, initially in contexts involving the formation of radicals and later extending to political and transformative senses. The same Latin root also underlies words such as “radish,” “radicle,” and “eradicate,” while “radix” remains a recognized botanical and mathematical term.
Related word forms
How radicalizing is actually used
The word is commonly used in political and social contexts and often has a negative connotation because it suggests a movement toward more extreme positions. In British English, the related forms are more often spelled with “-ise”.
Easily confused with radicalizing
“Radicalizing” is the present participle of the verb, while “radicalize” is the base form used in infinitives and other grammatical contexts.