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

Explanation

To alphabetize is to arrange something in order of the letters of the alphabet. You might alphabetize your spices on the rack in you kitchen, with allspice first and za'atar last. Part of a librarian's job is to alphabetize books, both on the shelf and in a computer database. If you put together a directory of club members, you might alphabetize their names, and if you've ever looked up a number in a phone book, you're probably glad the printer alphabetized the listings. Alphabetize comes from alphabet, which is rooted in the first two letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha and beta.

Example Sentences

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

Pause for an embarrassed silence … All my adult life I’ve kept vowing to alphabetize my library, but I never had the time — I was far too busy searching for books I couldn’t find.

From New York Times • Oct. 22, 2020

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

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2018

They tinkered with computers, programming them to alphabetize their homework.

From Washington Post • Nov. 1, 2016

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

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah