crystallize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to form into crystals; cause to assume crystalline form.
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to give definite or concrete form to.
to crystallize an idea.
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to coat with sugar.
verb (used without object)
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to form crystals; become crystalline in form.
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to assume definite or concrete form.
verb
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to form or cause to form crystals; assume or cause to assume a crystalline form or structure
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to coat or become coated with sugar
crystallized fruit
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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
- crystallizability noun
- crystallizable adjective
- crystallization noun
- crystallizer noun
- noncrystallizable adjective
- noncrystallized adjective
- noncrystallizing adjective
- uncrystallizable adjective
- uncrystallized adjective
Etymology
Origin of crystallize
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.
Rio Tinto was unwilling to stretch too far on a premium for long-dated copper options “at cycle-peak prices, while Glencore refused to crystallize its copper growth pipeline upfront,” says Peker.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
Outlook statements from the wave of earnings reports expected over the next two weeks will crystallize that view.
From Barron's • Jan. 19, 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
If uric acid levels rise too much, it can crystallize in the joints and kidneys, causing gout, kidney disease and a number of related conditions.
From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025
Then, in mid-March, the data started to crystallize.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
