nationalize

/ˈnæʃənəlaɪz/

//ˈnæʃənəlaɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"nationalize" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nationalize” is an uncommon English word, ranked #67,674 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#67,674
frequency rank, English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make into, or to become, a nation.

Key facts for nationalize
PropertyValue
Headwordnationalize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈnæʃənəlaɪz/
Letters11
Frequency rank#67,674
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nationalize” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). nationalize lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for nationalize is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnæʃənəlaɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #67,674 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for nationalize, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French nationaliser. By surface analysis, national + -ize. The correct English form is nationalize, spelled N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make into, or to become, a nation.
  2. 2
    To bring a private company, or an industry comprising such companies, under the control of a specific government.
  3. 3
    To bring a concept such as a political issue or commercial campaign to the attention of the entire country.
  4. 4
    To change from having local and regional variation to being national in character and scope.
  5. 5
    To make national; to make a nation of; to endow with the character and habits of a nation, or the peculiar sentiments and attachment of citizens of a nation.

Etymology

From French nationaliser. By surface analysis, national + -ize.

This word in other languages

nationaliser(Français)nationalisieren(Deutsch)estatizar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nationalize"?
"nationalize" is spelled N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnæʃənəlaɪz/.
What does "nationalize" mean?
As a verb, "nationalize" means: To make into, or to become, a nation.
How do you pronounce "nationalize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nationalize" is /ˈnæʃənəlaɪz/. 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 "nationalize"?
From French nationaliser. By surface analysis, national + -ize. 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.

Using “nationalize”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnæʃənəlaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list