urbanize
verb
ur·ban·ize
ˈər-bə-ˌnīz 
urbanized; urbanizing
1
: to cause to take on urban characteristics
urbanized areas
2
: to impart an urban way of life to
urbanize migrants from rural areas
Examples of urbanize in a Sentence
every September the city of Boston urbanizes a new crop of college students from small towns across the country
Recent Examples on the Web
Many cities have pushed back, arguing that so many more homes will more rapidly urbanize their suburban communities.
—
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2024
At the heart of this next revolution is Beijing's plan to urbanize 400 million people by 2030.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2010
When Margarita Lugo de Castillo first started selling food from an outdoor stall here in 1945, this area had just begun to urbanize.
—Jorge Valencia Mariano Fernandez, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023
But more Chinese people are frequently swapping soup and noodle dishes for salads and sandwiches as the country urbanizes and growing numbers find employment in the private sector.
—Lyric Li, Washington Post, 21 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for urbanize 
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2024
At the heart of this next revolution is Beijing's plan to urbanize 400 million people by 2030.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2010
When Margarita Lugo de Castillo first started selling food from an outdoor stall here in 1945, this area had just begun to urbanize.
—Jorge Valencia Mariano Fernandez, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023
But more Chinese people are frequently swapping soup and noodle dishes for salads and sandwiches as the country urbanizes and growing numbers find employment in the private sector.
—Lyric Li, Washington Post, 21 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for urbanize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'urbanize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near urbanize
Cite this Entry
“Urbanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urbanize. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
urbanize
verb
ur·ban·ize
ˈər-bə-ˌnīz
urbanized; urbanizing
1
: to cause to have an urban appearance
urbanized areas
2
: to cause to take on an urban way of life
urbanized the peasant population
urbanization
noun
ˌər-bə-nə-ˈzā-shən
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