urbanize

verb

ur·​ban·​ize ˈər-bə-ˌnīz How to pronounce urbanize (audio)
urbanized; urbanizing

transitive verb

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
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.
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 

Word History

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of urbanize was in 1836

Dictionary Entries Near urbanize

Cite this Entry

“Urbanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urbanize. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

urbanize

verb
ur·​ban·​ize ˈər-bə-ˌnīz How to pronounce urbanize (audio)
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
ˌər-bə-nə-ˈzā-shən
noun

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