Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To give an oriental character or appearance to.
  • intransitive verb To become oriental in character.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To render oriental; impart an oriental character to; conform to Oriental manners or character. Also spelled orientalise.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb to render Oriental; to cause to conform to Oriental manners or conditions.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb make oriental in character

Etymologies

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Examples

  • This may be regarded as another attempt to orientalize the empire, such as the dynasty of Heraclius and others before had previously made.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 3: Brownson-Clairvaux 1840-1916 1913

  • She died like a soldier, on duty and at her post, bravely defending the social and political traditions of the Roman aristocracy and the time-honored principles of Romanism against the influx of those new forces of a later age which were seeking to orientalize the ancient Latin republic.

    The Women of the Caesars Ferrero, Guglielmo, 1871-1942 1911

  • She died like a soldier, on duty and at her post, bravely defending the social and political traditions of the Roman aristocracy and the time-honored principles of Romanism against the influx of those new forces of a later age which were seeking to orientalize the ancient

    The Women of the Caesars Guglielmo Ferrero 1906

  • Supposing, however, that western men were to de-orientalize their gleeful notions of her, and dis-Turk themselves by inviting the woman's voluble tongue to sisterly occupation there in the midst of the pleading Court, as in the domestic circle: very soon would her eyes be harmless: unless directed upon us with intent.

    One of Our Conquerors — Complete George Meredith 1868

  • Supposing, however, that western men were to de-orientalize their gleeful notions of her, and dis-Turk themselves by inviting the woman's voluble tongue to sisterly occupation there in the midst of the pleading Court, as in the domestic circle: very soon would her eyes be harmless: unless directed upon us with intent.

    One of Our Conquerors — Volume 2 George Meredith 1868

  • Supposing, however, that western men were to de-orientalize their gleeful notions of her, and dis-Turk themselves by inviting the woman's voluble tongue to sisterly occupation there in the midst of the pleading Court, as in the domestic circle: very soon would her eyes be harmless: unless directed upon us with intent.

    Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith George Meredith 1868

  • = In a letter dated November, 1852, Mr. Arnold speaks of the figures in his poem as follows: "I can only say that I took a great deal of trouble to orientalize them, because I thought they looked strange, and jarred, if western."

    Matthew Arnold's Sohrab and Rustum and Other Poems Matthew Arnold 1855

  • Both men orientalize themselves as well as Muntaha; Sami with his Syrian heritage and Gabor with the Russian-ness of his grandfather, although both men reveal themselves to be more typically English than anything else.

    The Jakarta Post Breaking News 2009

  • Setting the question of Christianity aside, experience shows that the attempt to orientalize Occidentals may prove no less disastrous than the attempt to occidentalize Orientals, and that to transport Eastern mysticism to the West is to vulgarize it and to produce a debased form of occultism that frequently ends in moral deterioration or mental derangement. [

    Secret Societies And Subversive Movements Nesta H. Webster 1918

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