naturalize

verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈna-ch(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

transitive verb

1

: to confer the rights of a national on

especially : to admit to citizenship

2

: to introduce into common use or into the vernacular

3

: to bring into conformity with nature

4

: to cause (something, such as a plant) to become established as if native

intransitive verb

: to become established as if native

Examples of naturalize in a Sentence

The government refused to naturalize them without documentation.

naturalized citizens of the U.S.

Several Asian fish have become naturalized in these lakes.

Before you naturalize bulbs in your lawn, fertilize well.

These daisies naturalize well in the Pacific Northwest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump made clear during Tuesday’s tour that naturalized U.S. citizens — who live in so many communities in Central Florida — may be next to face detention and deportation. —Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2025

Of late, in a rare instance of going further than the right-wing Project 2025 itself, Trump has been testing out the notion of kicking U.S. citizens, naturalized and born here, out of the country too. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 July 2025

Some species now naturalized in the United Kingdom, for example—from apples and asparagus to fallow deer and pheasants—arrived with Roman conquerors. —Krista Langlois, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2025

The cheerful flowers look lovely massed in perennial beds and are perfect for naturalizing into meadows and prairie plantings. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for naturalize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

naturalize

verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈnach-(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

1

: to introduce into common use

naturalize a foreign word

2

: to become or cause to become established as if native

naturalized weeds

3

: to give the rights and privileges of citizenship to

naturalize a foreign-born person

Legal Definition

naturalize

transitive verb

nat·​u·​ral·​ize ˈna-chə-rə-ˌlīz 

naturalized; naturalizing

: to admit (a person) to citizenship

naturalization

ˌna-chə-rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun