Romanize

American  

[roh-muh-nahyz] / ˈroʊ məˌnaɪz /

especially British, Romanise

verb (used with object)

Romanized, Romanizing

1. to make Roman Catholic.

2. (often lowercase) to make Roman in character.

3. (often lowercase) to render in the Latin alphabet, especially a language traditionally written in a different system, as Chinese or Japanese.

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verb (used without object)

Romanized, Romanizing

1. to conform to Roman Catholic doctrine and practices; to become Roman Catholic.

2. (often lowercase) to follow Roman practices.

Romanize British  

/ ˈrəʊməˌnaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to impart a Roman Catholic character to (a ceremony, practice, etc)

2. (intr) to be converted to Roman Catholicism

3. (tr) to transcribe or transliterate (a language) into the Roman alphabet

4. to make Roman in character, allegiance, style, etc

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Other Word Forms

• Romanization
  noun
• Romanizer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Romanize

First recorded in 1600–10; Roman + -ize

Example Sentences

Returning home, he found the Roman governor, Quintilius Varus, making efforts to Romanize the German tribes near the Rhine.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2 Amiel to Atrauli by Various

It is perhaps fanciful to suggest that we are now suffering the penalty of the failure of Rome to Romanize, that is to say, to civilize their Teutonic neighbours.

From The Unity of Civilization by Various

It was possible, it was easy, to Romanize these western peoples.

From The Romanization of Roman Britain by Haverfield, F. (Francis)

Dr. Webster also defines Romanize, "To Latinize; to conform to Romish opinions."

From The Grammar of English Grammars by Brown, Goold

The attempt in the nineteenth century to Romanize our theories of liability involved a Romanized will-theory of contract.

From An Introduction to the Philosophy of Law by Pound, Roscoe