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
The second nationalizes our country’s local police departments to enforce Trump’s orders.
—
Arnold Kriss, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
His cardinal sin was nationalizing (not expropriating) the hugely profitable Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1951 which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill postulated was integral to the British Navy.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
Farage, a lifelong free-marketeer, now advocates nationalizing British Steel on the grounds of protecting jobs and national security.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The British government moved swiftly on Saturday to take control of operations at the country’s last large crude steel producing facility, in what appeared to be a major step toward nationalizing the plant.
—Stanley Reed, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalize
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Arnold Kriss, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
His cardinal sin was nationalizing (not expropriating) the hugely profitable Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1951 which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill postulated was integral to the British Navy.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
Farage, a lifelong free-marketeer, now advocates nationalizing British Steel on the grounds of protecting jobs and national security.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The British government moved swiftly on Saturday to take control of operations at the country’s last large crude steel producing facility, in what appeared to be a major step toward nationalizing the plant.
—Stanley Reed, New York Times, 12 Apr. 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 21 May. 2025.
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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