- to release (a country or region) from the status of a colony, or to allow (a colony) to become self-governing or independent.
- to reexamine and make changes in (a subject field, tradition, etc.) so as to counter the belief that the culture of a colonizing power is more worthy or important than the culture of a colonized people: From seed cataloguing to sustainable fishing, Indigenous people are decolonizing their diets and preserving their folkways.There is a movement to decolonize the curriculum, urging Western academics to change their courses to better reflect the ideas and experiences of peoples from all parts of the globe.
- to free a colony to become self-governing or independent.
- to grant independence to (a colony)
