sexualize

/ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz/

//ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz// verb

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

"sexualize" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sexualize” is uncommon English (frequency #85,763 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,763
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To render sexual, or apply sex appeal to (a person, thing, or concept).

Corpus desk

Index EN-sexualize · sexualize · English

sexualize · rank #85,763 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,763
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shambling

Nearest frequency peer: shambling (+1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “sexualize”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “sexualize” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sexualize
PropertyValue
Headwordsexualize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#85,763
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sexualize” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).sexualizefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “shambling” (#85,764), “serviceability” (#85,761), “shanker” (#85,765). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sexualize” is #85,763. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sexualize is uncommon English at frequency #85,763 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sexualize, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. 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 sexual + -ize. The correct English form is sexualize, spelled S-E-X-U-A-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To render sexual, or apply sex appeal to (a person, thing, or concept).
  2. 2
    To distinguish as belonging to separate sexes.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Children’s beauty pageants sexualize childhood.
  2. Your advertising doesn't need to sexualize goods and services to sell them to me, and in fact I might make a point of not buying your product if you pester me with sexualization.

Etymology

From sexual + -ize.

This word in other languages

sexualiser(Français)

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 "sexualize"?
"sexualize" is spelled S-E-X-U-A-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz/.
What does "sexualize" mean?
As a verb, "sexualize" means: To render sexual, or apply sex appeal to (a person, thing, or concept).
How do you pronounce "sexualize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sexualize" is /ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl.aɪz/. 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 "sexualize"?
From sexual + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "sexualize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

shambling#85,764scrubland#85,755scientism#85,754skintight#85,781

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list