ionize

American

[ahy-uh-nahyz] / ˈaɪ əˌnaɪz /

especially British, ionise

verb (used with object)

to separate or change into ions.
to produce ions in.

verb (used without object)

to become changed into the form of ions, as by dissolving.

ionize British

/ ˈaɪəˌnaɪz /

verb

to change or become changed into ions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ionize Scientific

/ ī′ə-nīz′ /

To give an atom or group of atoms a net electric charge by adding or removing one or more electrons.
To form ions in a substance. Lightning ionizes air, for example.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of ionize

First recorded in 1895–1900; ion + -ize

Vocabulary lists containing ionize

Physics - High School

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!

Electromagnetic Radiation - High School

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.

In the study, Parziale's team introduced krypton gas into a wind tunnel and used lasers to ionize it.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025

And unlike auroras, neither Steve nor the picket fence emit blue light, which is generated when the most energetic particles hit and ionize nitrogen.

From Science Daily • Dec. 8, 2023

But if a solar storm does hit, it can ionize Earth's upper atmosphere and fuel radio and satellite blackouts.

From Scientific American • Jul. 4, 2023

As a charged particle streaks through the argon, it will ionize some of the atoms, freeing their electrons.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 28, 2022

The R�ntgen rays to ionize the gas were produced by a bulb at O, the bulb and coil being in a lead-covered box, with an aluminium window through which the rays passed.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 8 "Conduction, Electric" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023