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

Limited cranial shifts in city-dwelling rodents after a century of urbanization. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025

To search for the reason behind these skull changes, the team pored over historical records on temperature and levels of urbanization around the Chicagoland area. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 June 2025

Lennar, as one of the largest homebuilders in the US, is well-positioned to capitalize on industry growth trends such as the increasing need for affordable housing, millennials entering the housing market, and rising urbanization. —Joe Cornell, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025

This went along with urbanization and an increasing focus on education. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 13 Feb. 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