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

The act was passed by Congress in 1952 to govern immigration, residency and naturalization. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026

Quiñones’ unit led a separate effort to find additional cases by reviewing whether people who’d recently become citizens had voted before they were naturalized, then lied about it in naturalization interviews. — Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 14 Aug. 2026

Instead, the government examines whether the individual was eligible for naturalization in the first place and whether important facts were concealed during the application process. — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Tania Rosa Rodriguez, 57, applied for naturalization in 2017 and was granted citizenship in 2018. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 12 Aug. 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