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urbanize

[ur-buh-nahyz]
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verb (used with object), ur·ban·ized, ur·ban·iz·ing.
  1. to make or cause to become urban, as a locality.
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Also especially British, ur·ban·ise.

Origin of urbanize

First recorded in 1635–45; urban + -ize
Related formsur·ban·i·za·tion, nounnon·ur·ban·ized, adjectiveo·ver·ur·ban·ize, verb, o·ver·ur·ban·ized, o·ver·ur·ban·iz·ing.un·ur·ban·ized, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for urbanize

sophisticate, metropolitanize
British Dictionary definitions for urbanize

urbanize

urbanise

verb (tr)
  1. (usually passive)
    1. to make (esp a predominantly rural area or country) more industrialized and urban
    2. to cause the migration of an increasing proportion of (rural dwellers) into cities
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Derived Formsurbanization or urbanisation, noun
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

Word Origin and History for urbanize

v.

1640s, "to make more civil;" 1884 "to make into a city," from urban + -ize; in the latter sense from French urbaniser (1873). Related: Urbanized; urbanizing.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper