bacchanalization
|bac-cha-na-li-za-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌbæk.əˌnæl.ɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌbæk.əˌnæl.ɪˈzeɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
making orgiastic revelry
Etymology
'bacchanalization' originates from Modern English, specifically from the verb 'bacchanalize' + the noun-forming suffix '-ation', where 'bacchanalize' meant 'to make bacchanalian' and '-ation' denotes an 'action or process'.
'bacchanalization' ultimately derives from 'bacchanalia' (plural of 'bacchanal'), which comes from Latin 'Bacchanalia' (festivals of Bacchus), itself from Greek 'Bakkhánalia' (Βακχάναλια) related to 'Bakkhos' (Βάκχος), the name of the god Bacchus; over time the term moved from referring specifically to religious festivals to meaning 'orgiastic revelry', and then to verbs and nouns describing the creation of such revelry (e.g. 'bacchanalize' → 'bacchanalization').
Initially it referred to 'festivals of Bacchus' and their rites; over time it evolved to mean 'orgiastic, drunken revelry', and in modern usage it can mean 'the process or act of turning something into a scene of excessive revelry.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or process of making something bacchanalian; the transformation into or occurrence of orgiastic, riotous, or drunken revelry.
The bacchanalization of the annual festival alarmed many residents who feared disorder.
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Noun 2
a figurative state or result in which a place, event, or institution becomes dominated by excessive indulgence and lack of restraint.
Critics warned that the new policy led to a bacchanalization of the marketplace, with reckless speculation rampant.
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Last updated: 2025/12/24 13:52