urbanize

especially British, ur·ban·ise

[ur-buh-nahyz]

verb (used with object)

urbanized, urbanizing 

1. to make or cause to become urban, as a locality.

urbanize

/ ˈɜːbəˌnaɪz /

verb

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

Other Word Forms

• urbanization noun
• nonurbanized adjective
• overurbanize verb
• unurbanized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of urbanize¹

First recorded in 1635–45; urban + -ize

Example Sentences

They benefit from space, sunlight and flexibility — qualities that Los Angeles has in abundance across its 1,600 square miles of urbanized area.

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That research has shed light on existential threats facing the big cats eking out an existence in an increasingly urbanized landscape.

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“In the U.S., which is highly urbanized and there are laws for sanitation, waste management, etc., the prevalence is substantially low,” Chaccour told Salon in a phone interview.

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The increasing occurrence of wildfires in urban areas suggests a need for increased outreach to residents of more urbanized neighborhoods and communities that have never experienced wildfires,” the study authors wrote.

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That can be hard to come by in highly urbanized areas.

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