naturalize

verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈna-ch(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

transitive verb

1

: to confer the rights of a national on

especially : to admit to citizenship

2

: to introduce into common use or into the vernacular

3

: to bring into conformity with nature

4

: to cause (something, such as a plant) to become established as if native

intransitive verb

: to become established as if native

Examples of naturalize in a Sentence

The government refused to naturalize them without documentation.

naturalized citizens of the U.S.

Several Asian fish have become naturalized in these lakes.

Before you naturalize bulbs in your lawn, fertilize well.

These daisies naturalize well in the Pacific Northwest.

Recent Examples on the Web

The United States government hosts the ceremonies year-round, but there is an extra flurry of activity during Constitution Week, in late September; this year, more than seventeen thousand new citizens were naturalized that week in some four hundred ceremonies across the country. —Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2024

In Arizona, where Biden defeated Trump in 2020 by just over 10,000 votes, over 31,000 citizens were naturalized over the period. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Thousands of people are naturalized in these states every year. —Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024

Navarro and Ji-Zhang are among the more than 3.5 million citizens naturalized since 2020 who have become eligible to vote. —Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

naturalize

verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈnach-(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

1

: to introduce into common use

naturalize a foreign word

2

: to become or cause to become established as if native

naturalized weeds

3

: to give the rights and privileges of citizenship to

naturalize a foreign-born person

Legal Definition

naturalize

transitive verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈna-chə-rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

: to admit (a person) to citizenship

naturalization

ˌna-chə-rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun