naturalize

English

Alternative forms

• naturalise

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle French naturaliser. Surface etymology is natural + -ize

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnætʃəɹəˌlaɪz/, /ˈnætʃɹəˌlaɪz/

Verb

naturalize (third-person singular simple present naturaliz, present participle ing, simple past and past participle naturalized)

1. To grant citizenship to someone not born a citizen
2. To acclimatize an animal or plant
   • Hawthorne

     Its wearer suggested that pears and peaches might yet be naturalized in the New England climate.

3. To make natural

   Custom naturalizes labour or study.

4. To limit explanations of a phenomenon to naturalistic ones and exclude supernatural ones
5. (linguistics) To make (a word) a natural part of the language.

   English speakers have naturalized the French word "café".

6. To study nature.
   • 1854, Somerton, The heiress of Somerton, page 226:

     Well, any way, Doctor, we will make an appointment for a whole day here next spring ; we will botanize, herbarize and naturalize to our hearts' content, from morn till night."

Usage notes

In English, foreign words are typically written in italics until they are naturalized.

Antonyms

• supernaturalize

Translations

to grant citizenship

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 入籍 (zh) (rùjí)

• Finnish: myöntää kansalaisuus, naturalisoida (fi)
• French: naturaliser (fr)
• German: einbürgern (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hindi: नागरिक बनाना (nāgrik banānā)
• Irish: eadóirsigh, éadaoirsigh, saoránacht a thabhairt do
• Maori: whakatangatawhenua
• Portuguese: naturalizar (pt)
• Romanian: naturaliza (ro)

to acclimatize an animal or plant — see acclimatize

to make to natural

• Finnish: luonnollistaa
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: naturalizar (pt)

to limit explanations of a phenomenon to naturalistic ones

• Finnish: selittää luonnollisella tavalla
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

linguistics: to make a natural part of a language

• Finnish: naturalisoida (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

• Irish: ^{(please verify)} eadóirsigh
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}