denaturalize

/diːˈnæt(jə)ɹəlaɪz/

//diːˈnæt(jə)ɹəlaɪz// verb

"denaturalize" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“denaturalize” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To revoke or deny the citizenship of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-denaturalize · denaturalize · English

denaturalize · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-6 6 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.

Key facts for denaturalize
PropertyValue
Headworddenaturalize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/diːˈnæt(jə)ɹəlaɪz/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “denaturalize” in English

denaturalizefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

denaturalize is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /diːˈnæt(jə)ɹəlaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

denaturalize doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From de- + naturalize. The correct English form is denaturalize, spelled D-E-N-A-T-U-R-A-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To revoke or deny the citizenship of.
  2. 2
    To make less natural; to cause to deviate from its nature.
  3. 3
    To cease to treat as natural.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how denaturalize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. After the regime fell, the leader was executed and the principal party members were denaturalized and deported.
  2. For decades, the US Department of Justice has used a tool to sniff out former Nazis who lied their way into becoming American citizens: a law that allowed the department to denaturalize, or strip, citizenship from criminals who falsified their records or hid their illicit pasts.

Etymology

From de- + naturalize.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "denaturalize"?
"denaturalize" is spelled D-E-N-A-T-U-R-A-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /diːˈnæt(jə)ɹəlaɪz/.
What does "denaturalize" mean?
As a verb, "denaturalize" means: To revoke or deny the citizenship of.
How do you pronounce "denaturalize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "denaturalize" is /diːˈnæt(jə)ɹəlaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "denaturalize"?
From de- + naturalize. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list