Definitions

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

  • verb to divide a territory into small, hostile states.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Alternative capitalization of Balkanize

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

  • verb divide a territory into small, hostile states

Etymologies

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Examples

  • "Thus, if discrimination were to 'balkanize' the Internet and reduce the size of many network communities using various applications by similar amounts, the costs in terms of lost surplus from network externalities could be very large."

    Ars Technica 2010

  • "Thus, if discrimination were to 'balkanize' the Internet and reduce the size of many network communities using various applications by similar amounts, the costs in terms of lost surplus from network externalities could be very large."

    Ars Technica 2010

  • As WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange explained to Time magazine last month, his leaks are intended to make "abusive" organizations "lock down internally and to balkanize," and thus "cease to be as efficient as they were."

    The Vatican Unsure How To Plug WikiLeak The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • " If leaks cause U.S. officials to " lock down internally and to balkanize, " they will " cease to be as efficient as they were.

    Julian Assange, Information Anarchist L. Gordon Crovitz 2010

  • The money would go to the Taliban, who in turn would storm in on horse-hoofs and balkanize India.

    Sunil Sharan: Enemy in Need can be Friend Indeed 2010

  • As WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange explained to Time magazine last month, his leaks are intended to make "abusive" organizations "lock down internally and to balkanize," and thus "cease to be as efficient as they were."

    The Vatican Unsure How To Plug WikiLeak The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • This is the problem whenever you try to balkanize relationships -- this is why I'm anti-boycott.

    Mayhill Fowler: Tea Party Talk: Racism, Palin, and the Hostile Takeover of the Republican Party 2010

  • As WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange explained to Time magazine last month, his leaks are intended to make "abusive" organizations "lock down internally and to balkanize," and thus "cease to be as efficient as they were."

    The Vatican Unsure How To Plug WikiLeak Josh Fleet 2010

  • This is the problem whenever you try to balkanize relationships -- this is why I'm anti-boycott.

    Mayhill Fowler: Tea Party Talk: Racism, Palin, and the Hostile Takeover of the Republican Party 2010

  • As WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange explained to Time magazine last month, his leaks are intended to make "abusive" organizations "lock down internally and to balkanize," and thus "cease to be as efficient as they were."

    The Vatican Unsure How To Plug WikiLeak Josh Fleet 2010

Comments

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  • also used (negatively) to describe fragmentation of interests/priorities, etc. that used to be shared:

    "Because the politically attentive tend to seek out information consistent with their existing views, Sunstein argued, the Internet threatens to balkanize political attention and discourse."

    http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/0/6/9/3/p106938_index.html

    the above usage seems to be spelled "bulkanize" frequently... not sure if it's just an innocent, random misspelling.

    March 6, 2010