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

The uninhabited islets became a focal point of tensions between China and Japan after Tokyo nationalized the chain in 2012. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

Starting in the 1920s and ’30s, a number of Latin American countries began nationalizing their oil and mining sectors. —Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025

Even after the oil industry was nationalized, social inequalities remained. —Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025

The silver mines have recently been nationalized, but obviously there’s a wealth disparity, there are two cultures living side by side and misunderstanding each other. —Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025

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