First Known Use: 1919
Dictionary
balkanize
verb, bal·kan·ize often capitalized \ˈbȯl-kə-ˌnīz\
bal·kan·izedbal·kan·iz·ing
Definition of BALKANIZE
transitive verb
1
: to break up (as a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units
2
: divide, compartmentalize <now pop culture has been balkanized; it is full of niches, with different groups watching and playing their own things — Richard Corliss>
— bal·kan·i·za·tion \ˌbȯl-kə-nə-ˈzā-shən\ noun often capitalized
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Origin of BALKANIZE
Balkan Peninsula
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