fossilized
adjective
fos·sil·ized
ˈfä-sə-ˌlīzd 
1
: having been changed into a fossil : subjected to fossilization
fossilized wood
And in 1997 he found several thousand fossilized eggs from a giant sauropod, or plant-eating dinosaur, just 120 miles north. The find included the first-known fossilized dinosaur embryos, as bits of fossilized dino-skin.—
Eric Niiler
Eric Niiler2
: old and unchanging or outmoded
fossilized notions
As the mountains get higher, the houses become tin-roof shacks, with yards full of fossilized appliances and ancient cars.—Elizabeth Gilbert
: made firm, fixed, or rigid by the passage of time
Elizabeth GilbertI love the living language more than the fossilized variety with its hardened meanings and set-in-stone lexicon.—Paul McFedries
Paul McFedriesI know when I took photos in the past I was looking either for particularly artistic shots or ones that might become fossilized memories adorning a mantel.—Robert W. Lucky
Robert W. LuckyExamples of fossilized in a Sentence
fossilized notions about the proper place of women in society
Recent Examples on the Web
The Denisovans are an extinct subspecies of archaic humans, which were discovered in 2010 after researchers found a fossilized finger in the Denisova Cave in Siberia.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
The piece similarly matches the species Albadraco tharmisensis, the size of which was determined based on fossilized vertebrae, according to the study.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
At the time the paintings were made, the cave entrance would have been open to humans and animals – and indeed, the skulls of bear, elk and other fossilized bones are scattered within, entombed in calcite drippings.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
The pinnacles seem endless yet no two are exactly the same — like fossilized snowflakes.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fossilized
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Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
The piece similarly matches the species Albadraco tharmisensis, the size of which was determined based on fossilized vertebrae, according to the study.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
At the time the paintings were made, the cave entrance would have been open to humans and animals – and indeed, the skulls of bear, elk and other fossilized bones are scattered within, entombed in calcite drippings.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
The pinnacles seem endless yet no two are exactly the same — like fossilized snowflakes.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fossilized
Cite this Entry
“Fossilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fossilized. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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