crystallize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to form into crystals; cause to assume crystalline form.
-
to give definite or concrete form to.
to crystallize an idea.
-
to coat with sugar.
verb (used without object)
-
to form crystals; become crystalline in form.
-
to assume definite or concrete form.
verb
-
to form or cause to form crystals; assume or cause to assume a crystalline form or structure
-
to coat or become coated with sugar
crystallized fruit
-
to give a definite form or expression to (an idea, argument, etc) or (of an idea, argument, etc) to assume a recognizable or definite form
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of crystallize
Vocabulary lists containing crystallize
Academic Vocabulary, Unit 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Part 3 Vocabulary (Unit 3)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even the Piker issue—the one that seems to crystallize so much of the anxiety there—he treated as over-indexed.
From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026
“It would be very surprising to markets if the Fed tried to crystallize gains. Most experts would tell you it’s highly unlikely. I would tell you it is highly unlikely,” Cabana said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026
Bond markets are said to be a daily referendum on the government, as their moves crystallize the impact of fiscal, monetary, domestic, and foreign policies into a series of tradable data points.
From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026
The book didn’t crystallize until April, after a conversation with Jonathan White, a captain in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026
My butterflies kick me, jab me with their flags, making the reality of Rhys, the parts of him I chose to not see so that I could see what I wanted, crystallize in my mind.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
