depolarize
gb/dˈɛpˈoʊlɚˌaɪz/ us/dˈɛpˈoʊlɚˌaɪz/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
C1
action
1
reduce social or political division
To make a disagreement or society less divided into extreme opposing sides.
Usage pattern:
depolarize [a debate/society/group/electorate]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse it with depopulate, which means to reduce the number of people in a place.
Synonyms
defuse (suggests reducing tension in a conflict or argument)
|
moderate (suggests making views less extreme)
|
bridge divides (emphasizes bringing opposing groups closer together)
Antonyms
polarize (means to divide people or opinions into strongly opposing sides)
|
radicalize (means to make views more extreme)
Collocations
depolarize politics
|depolarize the debate
|depolarize society
|depolarize public opinion
|depolarize voters
|depolarize the electorate
|help depolarize
|try to depolarize
Themes
politics
|society
|communication
|conflict
Examples
- The organization runs workshops designed to depolarize political conversations online.
- Some leaders argue that changing the voting system could help depolarize the country.
- The mayor tried to depolarize the debate by focusing on shared local problems.
Learner examples
- The group wants to depolarize the discussion.
- Better dialogue can help depolarize a community.
Verb
technical
C2
process
2
reduce cell membrane charge difference
When a nerve or muscle cell depolarizes, the electrical difference across its membrane becomes smaller.
Usage pattern:
[a neuron/cell/membrane] depolarizes; depolarize [a neuron/cell/membrane]
Common mistake:
In physiology, depolarize is not the same as repolarize; repolarize means to return toward the resting electrical state after depolarization.
Synonyms
excite (broader term; suggests making a nerve or muscle cell active)
|
activate (less technically precise; means to cause activity)
Antonyms
hyperpolarize (means to increase the electrical charge difference across a cell membrane)
|
repolarize (means to restore the membrane toward its resting polarized state)
Collocations
depolarize a neuron
|depolarize a cell
|depolarize a membrane
|depolarize cardiac tissue
|rapidly depolarize
|begin to depolarize
|depolarizing current
|depolarizing stimulus
Themes
biology
|medicine
|neuroscience
|physiology
Examples
- When sodium channels open, the neuron begins to depolarize.
- The drug can depolarize cardiac muscle cells and affect the rhythm of the heart.
- A strong enough stimulus will depolarize the membrane and trigger an action potential.
Learner examples
- A nerve cell depolarizes before it sends a signal.
- The membrane depolarized quickly.
Verb
technical
C2
action
3
remove physical polarization
To make polarized light, radiation, or a signal no longer strongly polarized.
Usage pattern:
depolarize [light/radiation/a signal/a material]
Common mistake:
This technical sense is usually about polarization as a physical property, not about political disagreement.
Synonyms
unpolarize (rare and less common; means remove polarization)
|
randomize polarization (more explicit technical phrase, especially for light)
Antonyms
polarize (means to give light, radiation, or a material a particular polarization)
Collocations
depolarize light
|depolarize a beam
|depolarize radiation
|depolarize a signal
|depolarize scattered light
|depolarize reflected light
|partially depolarize
|completely depolarize
Themes
physics
|optics
|electricity
|engineering
Examples
- The diffuser partially depolarizes the laser beam.
- Scattering in the atmosphere can depolarize light from the sun.
- Engineers tested whether the material would depolarize the incoming signal.
Learner examples
- The device depolarizes the light.
- The beam was partly depolarized.
Verb
technical
C2
action
4
reduce electrode or battery polarization
To reduce a chemical or electrical effect that makes an electrode or battery work less efficiently.
Usage pattern:
depolarize [an electrode/a cell/a battery]
Common mistake:
This sense is mainly technical and is different from depolarizing people or opinions.
Synonyms
reduce polarization (clearer descriptive phrase used in technical explanation)
|
counteract polarization (emphasizes opposing the unwanted effect)
Antonyms
polarize (means to produce polarization at an electrode or in a cell)
Collocations
depolarize an electrode
|depolarize a cell
|depolarize a battery
|depolarizing agent
|depolarizing material
|chemically depolarize
|electrochemically depolarize
Themes
chemistry
|batteries
|engineering
|electricity
Examples
- Manganese dioxide helps depolarize the cell in some dry batteries.
- The additive was used to depolarize the electrode during the reaction.
- If gas accumulates on the electrode, the system may require a method to depolarize it.
Learner examples
- The chemical helps depolarize the battery cell.
Grammar
Dictionary form
depolarize
IPA
GB/dˈɛpˈoʊlɚˌaɪz/
US/dˈɛpˈoʊlɚˌaɪz/
Syllables & stress
de - pol - ar - ize (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (de)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: depolarize
- 3rd Person Singular: depolarizes
- Present Participle: depolarizing
- Past: depolarized
- Past Participle: depolarized
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.