Americanize

verb

Amer·​i·​can·​ize ə-ˈmer-ə-kə-ˌnīz 

-ˈmər-, 

-ˈme-rə-

Americanized; Americanizing

transitive verb

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.

intransitive verb

: 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

The league tried to Americanize the game with some pizzaz, with cheerleaders, not unlike the NFL, but far from the traditional sport played in the rest of the world. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026

It was shortened and Americanized over time, which is how it became known as Alcatraz, according to the National Park Service. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

In modernizing and Americanizing the Charles Dickens novel, Alfonso Cuarón expunged many of Great Expectations’s subplots in favor of a 1998-friendly romantic drama that cemented Paltrow as an emblem of gentility. — Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2025

The Club World Cup tried to be different, perhaps an attempt to Americanize the experience. — Miami Herald, 14 July 2025

From his breakout mixtapes in the late 2000s to major label success, Montana represents an earlier wave of diasporic success—one that had to Americanize first, then reconnect with its roots. — Maha Elnabawi, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2025

The collapse of the Soviet state over the next decade brought a fresh campaign to Americanize Russia by cajoling it to build its post-Communist future around the beacons of democracy and capitalism. — Eric Jason Martin Tanya Pérez Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025

Morgenthau Americanized his work by referencing the Federalist Papers and the speeches of Abraham Lincoln rather than Schmitt. — Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for Americanize

• contextualize
• industrialize
• materialise
• materialize
• memorialize
• microenterprise
• overemphasize
• particularize
• revolutionise
• revolutionize
• actualize
• antagonize

Kids 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

ə-ˌmer-ə-kə-nə-ˈzā-shən

noun