An embedded, inverse wire-grid polarizer (WGP) includes ribs 13 located over a surface of a transparent substrate 11, gaps 16 between the ribs 13, and a fill-layer 15 substantially filling the gaps 16. The fill-layer has a relatively high index of refraction, such as greater than 1.4. At a wavelength of light incident upon the WGP, E∥ transmission can be greater than E⊥ transmission. E∥ is a polarization of light with an electric field oscillation parallel to a length L of the ribs, and E⊥ is a polarization of light with an electric field oscillation perpendicular to a length L of the ribs. This embedded, inverse WGP is especially useful for polarizing, with high WGP performance, small wavelength (high-energy) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g. UV) which are difficult to polarize with conventional WGPs (E⊥ transmission>E∥ transmission).