The process of a country, a place, or a way of life taking on the customs, clothes, food, business methods, laws or ideas that are typical of Western Europe and North America — or the state of having done so.

a country, a place, or a way of life一個國家、一個地方，或一種生活方式 taking on開始採用 Western Europe and North America西歐和北美 that are typical of典型的 the customs, clothes, food, business methods, laws or ideas習俗、服裝、飲食、經商方式、法律或思想 The process of的過程 — or或 the state of having done so已經到達那樣的狀態。

It is the noun that goes with the verb *westernize*. You meet it mostly in serious writing: history, sociology, news reports, school essays about Japan's Meiji period, or Turkey, or China, or Taiwan's own last century.

It is它是 the verb *westernize*動詞westernize that goes with所對應的 the noun名詞。 You meet it mostly in serious writing你主要會在正式書寫裡遇到它: history, sociology, news reports歷史、社會學、新聞報導, school essays about Japan's Meiji period, or Turkey, or China, or Taiwan's own last century或是談日本明治時期、土耳其、中國，或台灣自己上個世紀的學校作文。

Some texture you should have. The word is not neutral, and different speakers load it differently. Used flatly, it just names a change — Western-style suits, Western-style banking, Western-style schooling. But it very often carries a hint of loss, as if something local were being pushed out; that is why writers who want to sound fair now often prefer *modernization* or *globalization*, and why arguing about which of those three words is the right one is itself a common topic.

Some texture you should have你該掌握一些細微的地方。 The word is not neutral這個詞並不中立, and different speakers load it differently不同的人講起來帶的意味也不一樣。 Used flatly平鋪直敘地用, it just names a change它只是單純講一種改變 — Western-style suits, Western-style banking, Western-style schooling西式西裝、西式銀行、西式教育。 But it very often carries a hint of loss但它常常帶著一絲失落感, as if something local were being pushed out好像本地的東西正被擠掉; that is why writers who want to sound fair這也是為什麼想顯得公正的作者 now often prefer現在常常改用 modernization現代化 or或 globalization全球化, and why arguing about which of those three words is the right one而爭論這三個詞哪一個才對 is itself a common topic本身就是常見的話題。

Note also that "Western" here is a cultural label, not a compass reading: Japan is far to the east of Europe, but a coffee shop in Tokyo can still be called westernized.

Note also that也要注意 "Western" here is a cultural label這裡的「Western」是一種文化標籤, not a compass reading不是指南針上的方位: Japan is far to the east of Europe日本在歐洲的東邊很遠, but a coffee shop in Tokyo但東京的一家咖啡店 can still be called還是可以被稱為 westernized西化的。

The British spelling is *westernisation*, with an s; Taiwan's schools generally teach the American *-ization*. It is an uncountable noun, so it takes no *a* and no plural.

The British spelling is英式拼法是 *westernisation*, with an s*westernisation*，多了一個s; Taiwan's schools generally teach台灣學校一般教的是 the American *-ization*美式的*-ization*。 It is an uncountable noun它是不可數名詞, so it takes no *a*所以不加*a* and no plural也沒有複數。