nationalize

especially British, na·tion·al·ise

[nash-uh-nl-ahyz, nash-nuh-lahyz]

verb (used with object)

nationalized, nationalizing 

1. to bring under the ownership or control of a nation, as industries and land.

   a movement to nationalize the oil industry.

2. to make into a nation.

3. to naturalize.

4. to make national in extent or scope.

   a magazine article that nationalized a local problem.

verb (used without object)

nationalized, nationalizing 

1. to become nationalized or naturalized.

   Those who remain in the country must nationalize.

nationalize

/ ˈnæʃnə-, ˈnæʃənəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to put (an industry, resources, etc) under state control or ownership

2. to make national in scope, character, or status

3. a less common word for naturalize

Other Word Forms

• nationalization noun
• nationalizer noun
• antinationalization adjective
• nonnationalization noun
• overnationalization noun
• overnationalize verb (used with object)
• renationalization noun
• renationalize verb
• seminationalized adjective
• unnationalized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nationalize¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; national + -ize

Example Sentences

They sought to accelerate the acculturation and assimilation of the many immigrants into one people, which, as the Massachusetts political and literary figure Fisher Ames pointed out, meant, “to use the modern jargon, nationalized.”

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Padre Tiago has threatened to eradicate American influence and to nationalize the United Fruit Co. plantations.

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Then came the collapse of the government-sponsored entities, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both promptly nationalized.

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An early version of Jara’s platform promised to nationalize mining of lithium and copper.

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In their first two decades in power, they nationalized a thousand companies that then collapsed, seized farmland across the country, bungled the oil industry into steep decline and presided over the theft of untold billions.

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