fertilize

verb

fer·​til·​ize ˈfər-tə-ˌlīz 

fertilized; fertilizing

transitive verb

: to make fertile: such as

a

: to apply a fertilizer to

fertilize land

b

: to cause the fertilization of

fertilizable

ˈfər-tə-ˌlī-zə-bəl 

adjective

Examples of fertilize in a Sentence

A single sperm fertilizes an egg.

Bees fertilize plants as they collect nectar from flowers.

He fertilizes the lawn every year.

The soil is so rich there is no need to fertilize.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those eggs are then fertilized with sperm in a lab and placed in a woman’s uterus — in Bunnie and Jelly’s case, the surrogate’s. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 17 Feb. 2026

Make sure to fertilize the plant every four to six weeks during the growing season. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026

Choose a pot 1 to 2 inches wider with drainage holes, use fresh soil, and avoid fertilizing right after repotting. —Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 14 Feb. 2026

But fertilizing terrestrial crops with marine material may muddle that work. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 11 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fertilize

• cross-fertilize

Rhymes for fertilize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

fertilize

verb

fer·​til·​ize ˈfərt-ᵊl-ˌīz 

fertilized; fertilizing

: to make fertile: as

a

: to cause the fertilization of

also : to unite with in the process of fertilization

a sperm fertilizes an egg

b

: to apply a fertilizer to

fertilize land