What does scandalization mean?
Scandalization means the act of provoking strong public indignation or moral outrage, usually because something is considered improper, corrupt, or offensive. The term is formal and relatively uncommon, appearing especially in reporting, legal language, and historical accounts of public reactions to controversial conduct or publications. It differs from “scandal,” which names the offending event or situation itself, whereas “scandalization” focuses on the outrage provoked by it. The word can refer both to an act of causing such a reaction and to the resulting public scandal. In contemporary usage, it often appears in phrases such as “public scandalization” or “cause scandalization,” especially when a disclosure or official action has provoked a strongly condemnatory response.
nounThe act or process of causing or provoking widespread moral outrage, especially through conduct or publication considered scandalous.
- The act or process of causing or provoking widespread moral outrage, especially by doing or publishing something regarded as scandalous.
"The newspaper's decision to publish the private correspondence led to a public scandalization."
"The allegations caused considerable scandalization among members of the community."
"The organization's attempt to conceal the incident only deepened the scandalization."
The plural is rare and is used when referring to multiple separate acts or instances of provoking scandal.
"The two revelations generated separate scandalizations in different communities."
Sometimes the most explosive response to a revelation is not shock alone, but scandalization: a public eruption of moral outrage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does scandalization come from?
Scandalization is formed from “scandalize” or “scandal” plus the suffix “-ation,” which indicates an action or process. The related verb “scandalize” comes from “scandal,” a word that entered English in the early 17th century from late Latin scandalum, itself associated with the Greek skándalon, originally a snare or trap and later a stumbling block or cause of religious offence. The modern sense of public outrage developed through the use of “scandal” for conduct or events regarded as disgracefully offensive.
Related word forms
How scandalization is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon noun. It emphasizes the public reaction or process of causing outrage more than the scandalous event itself.
Easily confused with scandalization
A scandal is the objectionable event or conduct itself, whereas scandalization is the act of provoking widespread outrage about such conduct.