Definition

1. Verb:
   • To transfer (an industry, service, or asset) from public or state ownership and control to private ownership and control. This is the primary and most common meaning, referring to the process of privatization.
   • To deprive of national character or status; to make less national. This is a less common, more general meaning.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • The government decided to denationalise the railway system to improve efficiency.
  • After the policy change, several state-owned banks were denationalised.
  • Critics argue that to denationalise essential services like water is irresponsible.

Advanced Usage

• "To denationalise an industry": This is the standard collocation for discussing economic policy.
  • The political manifesto promised to denationalise the energy industry.
• Used in passive voice to describe the state of an asset.
  • The formerly state-run telecommunications company has been denationalised.

Variants and Related Words

• Denationalisation (noun, chiefly British English): The act or process of denationalising.
  • The denationalisation of the steel sector was controversial.
• Denationalize (verb, chiefly American English spelling): An alternative spelling of 'denationalise'.
• Nationalise (verb): The direct antonym, meaning to bring under state control or ownership.
• Privatise (verb): A close synonym, often used interchangeably with the primary economic meaning of 'denationalise'.

Synonyms

• Privatise (most direct synonym for the economic sense)
• Transfer to private ownership
• Sell off (informal, often implying a sale of assets)

Antonyms

• Nationalise
• Socialise (in the economic sense)
• Bring under public ownership

Related Phrases

• Denationalisation programme: A formal plan to transfer state assets to private control.
  • The new government initiated a sweeping denationalisation programme.

Verb

1. put under private control or ownership
   • The steel industry was denationalized