nationalize

verb

na·​tion·​al·​ize ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-ˌlīz 

nationalized; nationalizing

transitive verb

1

: to give a national character to

2

: to invest control or ownership of in the national government

nationalization

ˌna-sh(ə-)nə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

nationalizer

ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-ˌlī-zər 

noun

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

Altman said that many of the questions in the AMA session touched on the issue of whether AI efforts should be nationalized. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026

The aim is to stop the Iranian parliament’s attempt to nationalize the country’s lucrative oil industry. —Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026

Hegseth is now, in effect, threatening to partially nationalize one of the biggest AI players in the private sector—and force the company to go against its own principles. —Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026

These pronouncements follow the January 2026 FBI seizure of 2020 ballots from Fulton County, Georgia, and the president’s recent call for the Republican Party to nationalize elections. —Shelley Inglis, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nationalize

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

Kids 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

nationalization

-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

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