polarizado
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “polarizado” mean in English?
polarised — divided into extreme opposing camps with little middle ground
polarised — divided into extreme opposing camps with little middle ground (una sociedad polarizada, el debate político polarizado)
Example sentences
El debate político se ha vuelto tan polarizado que es casi imposible encontrar un espacio para el diálogo constructivo.
The political debate has become so polarised that it is almost impossible to find a space for constructive dialogue.
En una sociedad polarizada, las noticias que confirman los propios puntos de vista se consumen con avidez y las que los cuestionan se rechazan.
In a polarised society, news that confirms one's own viewpoints is consumed eagerly while news that questions them is rejected.
How to use it
Polarizado (adjective, from polarizarse) means 'polarised' — divided into sharply opposed camps with little middle ground, as when a magnet separates into positive and negative poles. At B2 it is a high-frequency adjective in political and social commentary: un debate polarizado, una sociedad polarizada, un clima político muy polarizado. The reflexive process verb is polarizarse: 'la sociedad se ha polarizado'. Key collocations: un debate/discurso/clima polarizado, la polarización política, polarizar la opinión pública. Polarizado implies that the middle ground has been eroded — contrast with controvertido (controversial — generating debate) which does not necessarily imply the centre has collapsed.
Common mistake
Polarizado (divided into opposed camps — the middle has collapsed) vs controvertido (controversial — generates strong disagreement but a range of views still exists). A polarised society has lost the centre; a controversial topic generates debate without necessarily eliminating middle ground.