''Balkanize'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260903191727-00-⌔

Balkanize - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Verb

Balkanize (third-person singular simple present Balkanizes, present participle Balkanizing, simple past and past participle Balkanized)

• (transitive) To break up into small, mutually - hostile units, especially on a political basis.
  • ✤ The Pentagon and the CIA were being Balkanized, partially dismantled, and a Congressional investigation had focused on Screaming Fist.¹

Etymology

From Balkan + -ize.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈbɔːl.kə.naɪz/
• Audio (Southern England): 🔊
• Audio (US): 🔊

Printed 2026-09-03.

(echo:: @ ⌗)

Footnotes

1. 1984, William Gibson, Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 83: ↩