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Balkanize

Syllabification: (Bal·kan·ize)
Pronunciation: /ˈbôlkəˌnīz/
Definition of Balkanize

verb

[with object]
  • divide (a region or body) into smaller mutually hostile states or groups.

Derivatives

Balkanization

Pronunciation: /ˌbôlkənəˈzāSHən/
noun

Origin:

1920s: from Balkan Peninsula (where this was done in the late 19th and early 20th century) + -ize

Balkanize in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of Balkanize in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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