naturalize
verb
nat·u·ral·ize
ˈna-ch(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 
naturalized; naturalizing
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
: 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
Many eligible voters are naturalized U.S. citizens who are too busy navigating daily life in a new country – and working – to learn a complicated new political system.
—
Mansee Khurana, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
On April 1, the cost of the application to naturalize is climbing as much as 19%.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024
Would border bill have naturalized millions of immigrants?
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Feb. 2024
More than half of those are naturalized U.S. citizens, people who lawfully obtained U.S. citizenship after immigrating.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024
Court documents show that the husband and wife are naturalized U.S. citizens who moved to Portland in 1995.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2024
Her father became a U.S. citizen in 1978, while her mother was naturalized in 2003, according to the Associated Press.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024
How to Propagate Dog Tooth Violet The plant naturalizes by growing bulb offsets (bulbils) on the sides of the bulbs.
—Nadia Hassani, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2024
Find a location where the plant can remain undisturbed, which increases the likelihood of it naturalizing over time.
—Nadia Hassani, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2024
Mansee Khurana, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
On April 1, the cost of the application to naturalize is climbing as much as 19%.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024
Would border bill have naturalized millions of immigrants?
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Feb. 2024
More than half of those are naturalized U.S. citizens, people who lawfully obtained U.S. citizenship after immigrating.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024
Court documents show that the husband and wife are naturalized U.S. citizens who moved to Portland in 1995.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2024
Her father became a U.S. citizen in 1978, while her mother was naturalized in 2003, according to the Associated Press.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024
How to Propagate Dog Tooth Violet The plant naturalizes by growing bulb offsets (bulbils) on the sides of the bulbs.
—Nadia Hassani, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2024
Find a location where the plant can remain undisturbed, which increases the likelihood of it naturalizing over time.
—Nadia Hassani, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'naturalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Naturalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalize. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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