Denationalize \De*na"tion*al*ize\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Denationalized}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Denationalizing}.] [Cf. F. d['e]nationaliser.] 1. To divest or deprive of national character or rights.
Bonaparte's decree denationalizes, as he calls it, all ships that have touched at a British port. --Cobbett.
An expatriated, denationalized race. --G. Eliot.
2. to change (something, as an industry or business) from state to private ownership or control; as, the British denationalization of steel.
Syn: privatize, denationalise. [WordNet 1.5]
Hussein's government also announced it would lift martial law, free political prisoners, legalize political parties, denationalize the press and fight corruption.
When plans to denationalize the country's water industry were postponed last July, the government had said that the shortfall could be made up by selling its stake in either BP or its 49% holding in British Telecommunications PLC.
Regarding reconstruction of the East German economy, Mr. Haussmann stressed the need to speed up plans to denationalize the country's state-owned industries, but he admitted that many details remain to be worked out.
The national Parliament has already passed a law to denationalize two-thirds of all state property by 1995.
French Finance Minister Edouard Balladur said he will denationalize a state-owned insurance group in December.
We resolve to defederalize, denationalize, and decentralize government monopolies that poorly serve the public and waste the taxpayers' dollars.
The Kohl government, as part of its denationalization program, has sought to partially denationalize Lufthansa.
The Philippines yesterday launched a five-year program meant to denationalize nearly 285 state companies, raise billions of dollars and bolster the country's financial markets.