1. to transfer (an industry or service) from government ownership or control to private ownership
Usage: often used in economics and politics

Examples

• The government decided to denationalize the railway system.
• Many countries denationalized their telecommunications industries in the 1990s.
• The policy aimed to denationalize state-owned enterprises.
• Critics argued that denationalizing healthcare would reduce access.
• The new administration promised to denationalize several key industries.
• Economists debated whether to denationalize the postal service.