denationalize
/diːˈnæʃ(ə)nəlaɪz/
"denationalize" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“denationalize” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To transfer the control and ownership of an industry from government to private hands; to privatize.
Corpus desk
Index EN-denationalize · denationalize · English
denationalize · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 13 letters
- VOW-7 7 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "D" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | denationalize |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /diːˈnæʃ(ə)nəlaɪz/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “denationalize” in English
Rare enough to double-check
denationalize is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /diːˈnæʃ(ə)nəlaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for denationalize, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French dénationaliser, equivalent to de- + nationalize. The correct English form is denationalize, spelled D-E-N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-Z-E.
Definition
- 1To transfer the control and ownership of an industry from government to private hands; to privatize.
- 2To strip of nationhood; to cease to recognise, or allow to exist, as a nation.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how denationalize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Doubtless, in thus denationalizing the Tahitians, as it were, the missionaries were prompted by a sincere desire for good; […]
What does signify, however, is the assumption that evangelical missions introduce or maintain an alien culture and that they denationalize.
Etymology
From French dénationaliser, equivalent to de- + nationalize.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.