Decolonise (Verb)
Meaning
Grant independence to (a former colony); "West Africa was decolonized in the early 1960's".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The struggle for independence led to the decolonisation of several African nations by the mid-20th century.
- India was decolonized in 1947 after nearly two centuries under British rule.
- Pressure from the international community forced the European powers to decolonise their overseas territories.
- Much of Southeast Asia was decolonized in the years following World War II.
- The process to decolonise the Caribbean began in the early 1960s as several islands gained independence.