Americanize
verb
Amer·i·can·ize
ə-ˈmer-ə-kə-ˌnīz 
-ˈmər-,
-ˈme-rə-
Americanized; Americanizing
1
: to cause to acquire or conform to American characteristics
2
: to bring (something, such as an area) under the political, cultural, or commercial influence of the U.S.
: to acquire or conform to American traits
Examples of Americanize in a Sentence
The editors of the book decided to Americanize the spelling.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the late 19th century, U.S. schools hosted Flag Day programs in an effort to Americanize immigrant children.
—
Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 13 June 2024
Such resistance Americanizes the costs of the war, as U.S. commanders assert increasing control over operations to deal with the growing threats.
—James F. Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2015
Die-hard fans have already struggled with the way Liberty Media and Drive to Survive appeared to be Americanizing the sport, turning it into a reality show focused more on drama than racing.
—David Hill, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2024
The Horvat family fled West — Mr. Hull, who had blonde hair and blue eyes, smuggled jewelry in his clothing, his family said — and eventually settled in East Orange, New Jersey, where a relative encouraged them to Americanize their names.
—Daniel E. Slotnik, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Apr. 2023
Seeing Muslims Americanize their names or shave their beards inspired her toward social activism.
—Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 9 Sep. 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 13 June 2024
Such resistance Americanizes the costs of the war, as U.S. commanders assert increasing control over operations to deal with the growing threats.
—James F. Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2015
Die-hard fans have already struggled with the way Liberty Media and Drive to Survive appeared to be Americanizing the sport, turning it into a reality show focused more on drama than racing.
—David Hill, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2024
The Horvat family fled West — Mr. Hull, who had blonde hair and blue eyes, smuggled jewelry in his clothing, his family said — and eventually settled in East Orange, New Jersey, where a relative encouraged them to Americanize their names.
—Daniel E. Slotnik, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Apr. 2023
Seeing Muslims Americanize their names or shave their beards inspired her toward social activism.
—Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 9 Sep. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near Americanize
Cite this Entry
“Americanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Americanize. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Americanize
verb
Amer·i·can·ize
ə-ˈmer-ə-kə-ˌnīz
Americanized; Americanizing
: to make or become American (as in customs, habits, dress, or speech)
Americanization
noun
ə-ˌmer-ə-kə-nə-ˈzā-shən
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share