Polarize
/ˈpoʊ.ləˌraɪz/noun
To divide into sharply contrasting groups, opinions, or forces; or to make light waves vibrate in a single plane.
Did you know?The word entered English through science: first in optics, where it described light forced into one plane, and only later did it become the political word for splitting people into opposing camps.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“to thrust, strike, or drive”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πόλος (pólos)
“axis of a sphere; pivot; celestial pole”
Latin
Latin
polus
“the pole of the heavens”
Late Latin / French
Late Latin / French
polar
“of or relating to the pole”
18th Century
English
polarize
“to make something polar, especially in optics”
19th Century
English
polarize
“to divide into opposed camps or tendencies”