( BrE also de·nation·al·ise ) / ˌdiːˈnæʃnəlaɪz; NAmE / verb
[ vn ] to sell a company or an industry so that it is no longer owned by the government
SYN privatize
OPP nationalize
► de·nation·al·iza·tion , de·nation·al·isa·tion / ˌdiːˌnæʃnəlaɪˈzeɪʃn; NAmE -ləˈz-/ noun [ U ]
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent. (originally meaning to deprive someone of their nationality): from French dénationaliser (a word of the French Revolution), from dé- (expressing reversal) + nationaliser nationalize.