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History vocabulary · Historiography and Historical Thinking

Periodization

Meaning in history, with examples

/ˌpɪəriədaɪˈzeɪʃn/nounAdvanced term

In history, periodization means: The dividing of the past into named periods, such as antiquity and the Middle Ages, and the debate about where the boundaries between them should fall.

In Turkish: dönemlendirme, devirlere ayırma

How it is used

Historians discuss, question or propose a periodization. Every periodization reflects choices: what counts as a turning point, and from whose point of view. A traditional Turkish periodization uses İlk Çağ, Orta Çağ, Yeni Çağ and Yakın Çağ.

Example sentences

  1. The traditional periodization of Ottoman history has been widely criticised.

  2. Any periodization of world history is partly a matter of perspective.

Common collocations

  • traditional periodization
  • question the periodization
  • a new periodization
  • the periodization of history
  • periodA length of time in history that historians treat as a unit because it has its own typical features, such as the Tudor period or the Tanzimat period.
  • eraA long and distinct stage of history, usually marked by an important event, ruler or change, such as the Victorian era or the Cold War era.
  • Middle AgesThe period of European history between the end of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century and roughly the late fifteenth century.
  • turning pointA moment or event that causes an important change in the direction of history, after which things develop differently.

More terms: Historiography and Historical Thinking

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