hospitalize

verb

hos·​pi·​tal·​ize ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-tə-ˌlīz 

hospitalized; hospitalizing

transitive verb

: to place in a hospital as a patient

hospitalization

ˌhä-(ˌ)spi-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Examples of hospitalize in a Sentence

The doctor wants to hospitalize her for a few days so that he can run some tests.

Recent Examples on the Web

McKellen was hospitalized for three days with a fractured wrist and neck injury following the fall on June 17, 2024, leaving him unable to return to the London run of Player Kings. —Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026

Lilyanna told her plans to a therapist who called for help and the teen was hospitalized. —Meena Duerson, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026

The victims were hospitalized with serious injuries, but they were not expected to be life-threatening. —Mark Prussin, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026

He has not been seen publicly since being hospitalized. —Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

hospital + -ize

First Known Use

circa 1899, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hospitalize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

hospitalize

verb

hos·​pi·​tal·​ize ˈhäs-ˌpit-ᵊl-ˌīz 

hospitalized; hospitalizing

: to place in a hospital as a patient

hospitalization

ˌhäs-ˌpit-ᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

hospitalize

transitive verb

hos·​pi·​tal·​ize

variants or chiefly British hospitalise

ˈhäs-(ˌ)pit-ᵊl-ˌīz  häs-ˈpit-ᵊl-ˌīz 

hospitalized or chiefly British hospitalised; hospitalizing or chiefly British hospitalising

: to place in a hospital as a patient

the child was hospitalized at once for diagnosis and treatment

—The Journal of the American Medical Association