alphabetize

American  

[al-fuh-bi-tahyz] / ˈæl fə bɪˌtaɪz /

especially British, alphabetise

verb (used with object)

alphabetized, alphabetizing

1. to put or arrange in alphabetical order.

2. to express by or furnish with an alphabet.

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alphabetize British  

/ ˈælfəbəˌtaɪz /

verb

1. to arrange in conventional alphabetical order

2. to express by an alphabet

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Other Word Forms

• alphabetization noun
• alphabetizer noun
• misalphabetize verb (used with object)
• unalphabetized adjective

Etymology

Origin of alphabetize

First recorded in 1865–70; alphabet + -ize

Example Sentences

And instead of organizing the case from top to bottom, I alphabetize each individual shelf so that when it’s time to add a book, I don’t have to shift the entire system.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2022

“But if I’m like, I need to go through all those shelves back there and alphabetize my books and dust them and maybe paint the bookshelves,” she said, you might be “procrasticlearing.”

From Washington Post • Jul. 9, 2021

It’s going to be a long list, so you can click on the “Process Name” heading to alphabetize the list for an easier find.

From The Verge • Jul. 6, 2021

It’ll be a perfect opportunity to finally dust above your curtain rods or alphabetize those book shelves.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2018

To arrange alphabetically; as, to alphabetize a list of words.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah