democratizing
UK[dɪˈmɒk.rə.taɪ.zɪŋ]US[dɪˈmɑː.krə.taɪ.zɪŋ]
v
making something accessible to everyone, especially by removing social or financial barriers
v
bringing something under democratic control or making it more democratic
Morpheme Breakdown
demo
crat
izing
demo
people
crat
rule, power
izing
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'democratizing' is built upon the core concept of 'democracy', which originates from ancient greek 'dēmokratia', a compound of 'dēmos' (common people) and 'kratos' (strength, power, rule). this literally described a system of 'rule by the people'. the english verb 'democratize' was formed in the late 18th century by adding the causative suffix '-ize' to 'democrat', meaning 'to make democratic'. the present participle form 'democratizing' thus captures the active process of granting power or access to a broader populace. the semantic evolution reflects a shift from describing a political structure to encompassing the broader social act of making privileges, technologies, or opportunities widely available.
Analysis
Structure: demo (people) + crat (rule, power) + izing (verb suffix)
demo: from greek 'dēmos', meaning 'the common people, citizenry'. functions as a root indicating 'people'.
crat: from greek '-kratēs' (ruler) or '-kratia' (rule, power), via french '-crate'. functions as a combining form meaning 'rule' or 'power'.
izing: from english verb-forming suffix '-ize' (to make, to become) plus present participle suffix '-ing'. indicates the action or process of making.
Examples
the internet is credited with democratizing access to information.
the company is focused on democratizing financial services through its mobile app.
new manufacturing techniques are democratizing the ability to create custom products.