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 is 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

In December, Melania Trump delivered remarks at a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in Washington, but her husband did not attend the event with her. —Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024

Publishers had to vouch that an author had resided in the U.S. for at least 10 years and was pursuing naturalization or had no viable pathway to do so. —Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024

Currently, to graduate high school, Arizona students must complete a minimum number of credits and pass a civics test based on the U.S. naturalization test. —Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024

Wait times for naturalization applications also vary across the country according to USCIS’ online case processing tool, which states the average wait time for 80% of applicants for each USCIS office. —Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024

By the end of his tenure, however, naturalizations lagged amid backlogs and financial struggles at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that processes applications. —Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2024

The ancestor in question, Patrick Devine, was born around 1844 in Ireland, and arrived in the U.S. around 1853, according to his petition for naturalization. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Jan. 2024

The naturalization test is one of the final steps toward citizenship — a monthslong process that requires legal permanent residency for years before applying. —Time, 5 July 2023

Monday features a wreath-laying ceremony at Washington’s tomb, and Thursday’s centerpiece is a naturalization ceremony with immigrants from around the world. —Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1558, in the meaning defined above

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