hospitalize

verb

hos·​pi·​tal·​ize ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-tə-ˌlīz How to pronounce hospitalize (audio)
hospitalized; hospitalizing

transitive verb

: to place in a hospital as a patient

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On Easter Day in 2019, a sweating and erratic Kay — who was allegedly vomiting and dancing with his shirt off — was taken home from the stadium and later hospitalized. Sean Emery, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025 Richardson sustained the injury and was hospitalized after a stretching band snapped, sending an attached pole forcibly against his face. Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025 Pope Francis recorded a pained and labored audio message Thursday to thank people for their prayers for his recovery, the first public sign of life from the 88-year-old pope since he was hospitalized three weeks ago with double pneumonia. Brian Bennett, Time, 15 Oct. 2025 Multiple students at Princeton Middle School were hospitalized last week after eating THC gummies on school grounds, according to Sharonville police. Brenda Ordonez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hospitalize

Word History

Etymology

hospital + -ize

First Known Use

circa 1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hospitalize was circa 1899

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hospitalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hospitalize. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hospitalize

verb
hos·​pi·​tal·​ize ˈhäs-ˌpit-ᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce hospitalize (audio)
hospitalized; hospitalizing
: to place in a hospital as a patient
hospitalization noun

Medical Definition

hospitalize

transitive verb
hos·​pi·​tal·​ize
variants or chiefly British hospitalise
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 treatmentThe Journal of the American Medical Association

More from Merriam-Webster on hospitalize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!