During the Cold War much of the world was polarized What is meant by polarization?

(being divided into opposing groups (opposite forces))

Polarization is the presence or existence of two opposite forces. For example, a magnet is polarized -- it has two opposite poles.The concept of polarization is often used to describe the two opposing sides in the Cold War: the Communist Bloc and the non-communist Free World. The two sides are opposites. The Free World is made up of, for the most part, capitalist democracies. The Communist Bloc is made up of communist dictatorships.