crystallize

verb

crys·​tal·​lize ˈkri-stə-ˌlīz How to pronounce crystallize (audio)
variants or less commonly crystalize
crystallized; crystallizing

transitive verb

1
: to cause to form crystals or assume crystalline form
2
: to cause to take a definite form
tried to crystallize his thoughts
3
: to coat with crystals especially of sugar
crystallize grapes
crystallizable
ˈkri-stə-ˌlī-zə-bəl How to pronounce crystallize (audio)
ˌkri-stə-ˈlī-
adjective
crystallization noun
crystallizer noun

Example Sentences

Eventually the paint will start to crystallize. Certain conditions can cause carbon to crystallize into diamonds. Certain conditions can crystallize carbon into diamonds. The final paragraph of the essay crystallizes her theory. He tried to crystallize his thoughts. Her theory crystallizes in the final paragraph of the essay. See More
Recent Examples on the Web The two reports are the latest to crystallize how nurses perceive their profession coming out of a three-year public health emergency during which hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, nurses faced growing workloads and staffing shortages surfaced. Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 3 May 2023 Sometime in the mid-2010s, as the streaming boom crystallized, TV executives realized that transgressions—true and otherwise (see: True Detective, Ozark)—were a surefire way to keep customers engaged. Matthew Jacobs, Town & Country, 28 Apr. 2023 Social milieus can sometimes crystallize consensus so quickly that individuals caught in the maelstrom of the new orthodoxy construct a whole internal rational edifice which justifies their conformity. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2012 The large unrealized losses — which would have to be crystallized in most deals — have caused some buyers to balk at the prospect, people with knowledge of the matter have said. Jenny Surane, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2023 True Carbon Accounting is Born – Next year, expect industry coalitions to crystallize around the accounting and reporting standards that make sense for their specific supply and demand chains. Kevin O'marah, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2022 The results, recently published in Paleontology, show that within 24 hours every organ’s acidity reached the right range for calcium phosphate to crystallize, with these conditions lasting up to five days. Sasha Warren, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2022 That’s how Ke Huy Quan opened a tearful acceptance speech at the Gotham Awards in November, when the possibility that the Vietnamese-American actor might be nominated for — and even win — an Oscar for his performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once was starting to crystallize. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2023 But for those new to The Last of Us, the understanding begins to crystallize: Joel’s vulnerability might just be his most important attribute. Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 19 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crystallize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

crystal entry 1 + -ize

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crystallize was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near crystallize

Cite this Entry

“Crystallize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crystallize. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

crystallize

verb
crys·​tal·​lize ˈkris-tə-ˌlīz How to pronounce crystallize (audio)
crystallized; crystallizing
1
a
: to cause to form crystals or assume crystalline form
b
: to become crystallized
2
: to take or cause to take definite form
the plan crystallized slowly
crystallization noun

Medical Definition

crystallize

verb
crys·​tal·​lize
variants also crystalize also British crystallise or crystalise
crystallized also crystallized also British crystallised or crystallised; crystallizing also crystallizing also British crystallising or crystallising

transitive verb

: to cause to form crystals or assume crystalline form
especially : to cause to form perfect or large crystals

intransitive verb

: to become crystallized
often used with out
the solid crystallized out
crystallizable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on crystallize

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