urbanize
verb
ur·ban·ize
ˈər-bə-ˌnīz 
urbanized; urbanizing
1
: to cause to take on urban characteristics
urbanized areas
2
: to impart an urban way of life to
urbanize migrants from rural areas
Examples of urbanize in a Sentence
every September the city of Boston urbanizes a new crop of college students from small towns across the country
Recent Examples on the Web
When Margarita Lugo de Castillo first started selling food from an outdoor stall here in 1945, this area had just begun to urbanize.
—
Jorge Valencia Mariano Fernandez, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023
But more Chinese people are frequently swapping soup and noodle dishes for salads and sandwiches as the country urbanizes and growing numbers find employment in the private sector.
—Lyric Li, Washington Post, 21 June 2023
South Korea, for example, has urbanized at blistering speed, with the percentage of people living in and around cities doubling between 1966 and 1986, from 33 to 67 percent.
—Monica Das Gupta, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2017
The urge to urbanize is hard-wired in us because cities are life.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023
The ecological consequences of such a timing shift could thus be serious, especially as our world continues to urbanize at an increasing pace.
—Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2013
Until recently, a property boom helped fuel China's rapid growth, as Chinese developers powered the country's efforts to urbanize and build a modern economy.
—Grady McGregor, Fortune, 18 July 2022
Just like any other civilization that chose to urbanize, the Romans were up against a problem: What to do with all this waste?
—Lina Zeldovich, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Nov. 2021
As the area continues to grow and urbanize, the amount of impervious surfaces like streets and parking lots increases, Simonsen said.
—Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 July 2021
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Jorge Valencia Mariano Fernandez, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023
But more Chinese people are frequently swapping soup and noodle dishes for salads and sandwiches as the country urbanizes and growing numbers find employment in the private sector.
—Lyric Li, Washington Post, 21 June 2023
South Korea, for example, has urbanized at blistering speed, with the percentage of people living in and around cities doubling between 1966 and 1986, from 33 to 67 percent.
—Monica Das Gupta, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2017
The urge to urbanize is hard-wired in us because cities are life.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023
The ecological consequences of such a timing shift could thus be serious, especially as our world continues to urbanize at an increasing pace.
—Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2013
Until recently, a property boom helped fuel China's rapid growth, as Chinese developers powered the country's efforts to urbanize and build a modern economy.
—Grady McGregor, Fortune, 18 July 2022
Just like any other civilization that chose to urbanize, the Romans were up against a problem: What to do with all this waste?
—Lina Zeldovich, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Nov. 2021
As the area continues to grow and urbanize, the amount of impervious surfaces like streets and parking lots increases, Simonsen said.
—Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 July 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'urbanize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1836, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near urbanize
Cite this Entry
“Urbanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urbanize. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
urbanize
verb
ur·ban·ize
ˈər-bə-ˌnīz
urbanized; urbanizing
1
: to cause to have an urban appearance
urbanized areas
2
: to cause to take on an urban way of life
urbanized the peasant population
urbanization
noun
ˌər-bə-nə-ˈzā-shən
More from Merriam-Webster on urbanize
Britannica English: Translation of urbanize for Arabic Speakers
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