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

Roughly a decade after her arrival in the United States, Rum became a citizen in June 2025 at Midway International Airport during the first naturalization ceremony ever held at a Chicago airport. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026

Applying for naturalization, which is part of the process for becoming a citizen, currently costs $760 if the paperwork is submitted in person, and $710 if submitted online. — Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 23 June 2026

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

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