nationalize
verb
na·tion·al·ize
ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-ˌlīz 
nationalized; nationalizing
1
: to give a national character to
2
: to invest control or ownership of in the national government
Examples of nationalize in a Sentence
The government nationalized the health-care system in the mid-1950s.
nationalizing the country's oil supply
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump appeared to be alluding to work done in the 1970s in Venezuela by Western oil companies before the government there opted to nationalize its reserves, eventually forcing out American companies.
—
Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2026
Other American energy giants, including Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, withdrew from Venezuela after former President Hugo Chavez nationalized private foreign oil interests starting in 2006.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Either Tinkov’s stake would be sold and his name scrubbed from the brand, or the bank—then one of Russia’s largest lenders—would be nationalized.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Most of them left the country in 1976, when its industry was nationalized by President Carlos Andrés Pérez, a democratic socialist; only Chevron, which currently does business under a limited US operating license, has stayed.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalize
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Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2026
Other American energy giants, including Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, withdrew from Venezuela after former President Hugo Chavez nationalized private foreign oil interests starting in 2006.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Either Tinkov’s stake would be sold and his name scrubbed from the brand, or the bank—then one of Russia’s largest lenders—would be nationalized.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025
Most of them left the country in 1976, when its industry was nationalized by President Carlos Andrés Pérez, a democratic socialist; only Chevron, which currently does business under a limited US operating license, has stayed.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalize
Cite this Entry
“Nationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalize. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nationalize
verb
na·tion·al·ize
ˈnash-nəl-ˌīz
-ən-ᵊl-
nationalized; nationalizing
1
: to make national
2
: to remove from private ownership and place under government control
nationalize railroads
Legal Definition
nationalize
transitive verb
na·tion·al·ize
ˈna-shə-nə-ˌlīz
nationalized; nationalizing
: to invest control or ownership of in the national government
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