urbanization

noun

ur·​ban·​i·​za·​tion ˌər-bə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

: the quality or state of being urbanized or the process of becoming urbanized

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The word urbanization started appearing in print way back in the 1880s, which says something about the growth of American cities. The expansion of Los Angeles was an early example of uncontrolled urbanization. Urbanization is often seen as a negative trend, with bad effects on quality of life and the environment. But apartments require much less heat than houses, and commuting by mass transit rather than cars can reduce pollution and energy use, and cities offer improved opportunities for jobs (and often for education and housing as well), so city growth doesn't make everyone unhappy.

Examples of urbanization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite macroeconomic challenges and currency volatility, Emerging Markets continue to offer significant long-term potential, driven by rising middle-class demand and increasing urbanization. —Joe Cornell, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

These parallel trends became especially sharp after around 1,000 years ago, coinciding with surges in agriculture, urbanization and trade networks. —New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025

The past century of Chicago’s urbanization enlarged the skulls of chipmunks and flattened those of meadow voles. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Within individual river catchments, changes such as clearing native land cover for agriculture or urbanization alters how precipitation moves into river corridors and can either increase or decrease the size and return interval of floods. —Ellen Wohl august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for urbanization

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration