naturalization

noun

nat·​u·​ral·​i·​za·​tion ˌna-ch(ə-)rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

plural naturalizations

: the act or process of naturalizing : the state of being naturalized: such as

a

: the course of action undertaken to become a citizen of a country other than the country where one was born

I complete the application for naturalization, wondering whether I know enough American history and government, and whether I could be disqualified for not knowing all the unmemorable lines of Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner."

—Judy Ray

b

of a non-native plant or animal : the process of becoming or the state of being established in the wild so that growth and reproduction are possible without human intervention

This phenomenon follows the typical pattern of invading plant and animal species, the gradual process of naturalization by which ecological balance tends to reassert.

—John Eastman

Examples of naturalization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hanlon wrote that the federal government has been aware of the charges against Sarsour for 25 years and considered them at least four times when evaluating his eligibility for naturalization. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026

India 🇮🇳 A farmer in California's Imperial Valley, Saund was a major lobbyist for Congress to legalize naturalization of Indian citizens. —Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Permanent residents born in those countries who had been approved for citizenship saw their naturalization ceremonies cancelled. —Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 7 June 2026

In a case filed in September, the DOJ claimed Volgaev concealed and misrepresented his involvement in the smuggling operation during his naturalization process and thus should lose citizenship. —Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1558, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for naturalization

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

Kids Definition

naturalization

noun

nat·​u·​ral·​i·​za·​tion

ˌnach-(ə-)rə-lə-ˈzā-shən

: the act or process of naturalizing : the state of being naturalized