Latinize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause to conform to the customs, traditions, beliefs, etc., of the Latins or the Latin Church.
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to intermix with Latin elements.
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to translate into Latin.
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to make Latin American in character.
The influx of Cuban immigrants has Latinized Miami.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to translate into Latin or Latinisms
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to transliterate into the Latin alphabet
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to cause to acquire Latin style or customs
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to bring Roman Catholic influence to bear upon (the form of religious ceremonies, etc)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Latinize
First recorded in 1580–90; < Late Latin latīnīzāre “to translate into Latin”; see Latin, -ize
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.
See Examples For:
He owed his aristocratic name to the custom, prevalent in those days, to Latinize all vulgar appellations.
From Essays on Scandinavian Literature by Boyesen, Hjalmar Hjorth
At least, they didn’t try to Latinize things in extraterrestrial zoology any more.
From Little Fuzzy by Piper, H. Beam
Dr. Webster also defines Romanize, "To Latinize; to conform to Romish opinions."
From The Grammar of English Grammars by Brown, Goold
He would paganize, Latinize and Mediterraneanize the genius of Europe.
From Suspended Judgments Essays on Books and Sensations by Powys, John Cowper
Another circumstance contributed to Latinize the German races outside of Germany.
From A History of Germany From the Earliest Times to the Present Day by Taylor, Bayard
For some reason along the way the spelling became Latinized to Uranus, and the pronunciation seems to have followed suit.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2022
But if we go down south, then we run into people who are Latinized indigenous people.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2018
The album, which sold a reported 2 million copies, included Latinized versions of standards such as “My Yiddishe Momme,” “Raisins and Almonds” and “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon.”
From Washington Post ● Aug. 23, 2016
Some users have also disputed the Latinized version of “Jimbo.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2013
This backward-looking astronomer had been born in 1611, which perhaps explains his old-fashioned attitude, and christened Johann Höwelcke, but Latinized his name to Johannes Hevelius.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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Michael Pauw of Amsterdam acquired this land in 1630 and called it “Pavonia,” or “Land of the Peacock” which he derived by Latinizing his own name.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2022
In his younger days, Mr. Fields specialized in Latinizing standards.
From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2016
His cumbersome style, "my Latinizing way of writing English," he attributes to "my classical education."
From Time Magazine Archive
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This Latinizing was so thorough that it weathered all storms, and, in the countries affected by it, was the parent of new and vigorous nationalities, the French, the Spaniards, the Portuguese and the Rumanians.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 5 "Greek Law" to "Ground-Squirrel" by Various
The Latinizing Armenians adopted it from Rome in the crusading epoch.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 "Evangelical Church Conference" to "Fairbairn, Sir William" by Various
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.