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In 2015, France was affected by a wave of violence carried out in the name of Islam. The concept of radicalization was widely used as a key concept for describing these events. However, the concept of radicalization is problematic. To elucidate this point, we have examined the semantic contexts in which the word was used in Le Monde, from the 1950s to today. The results of our study show first that the word appeared in four different semantic fields, and that, second, from 2004, a process of individualization and depoliticization of the concept took place. This restrictive use of the word “radicalization” coincides with a deterministic perspective on the relationship between terrorism and conversion to radical Islam.