Americanize

verb

Amer·​i·​can·​ize ə-ˈmer-ə-kə-ˌnīz How to pronounce Americanize (audio)
-ˈmər-,
-ˈme-rə-
Americanized; Americanizing

transitive verb

1
: to cause to acquire or conform to American characteristics
2
: to bring (something, such as an area) under the political, cultural, or commercial influence of the U.S.

intransitive verb

: to acquire or conform to American traits

Examples of Americanize in a Sentence

The editors of the book decided to Americanize the spelling.
Recent Examples on the Web Die-hard fans have already struggled with the way Liberty Media and Drive to Survive appeared to be Americanizing the sport, turning it into a reality show focused more on drama than racing. David Hill, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2024 The Horvat family fled West — Mr. Hull, who had blonde hair and blue eyes, smuggled jewelry in his clothing, his family said — and eventually settled in East Orange, New Jersey, where a relative encouraged them to Americanize their names. Daniel E. Slotnik, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Apr. 2023 Seeing Muslims Americanize their names or shave their beards inspired her toward social activism. Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, 9 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Americanize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Americanize was in 1686

Dictionary Entries Near Americanize

Cite this Entry

“Americanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Americanize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Americanize

verb
Amer·​i·​can·​ize ə-ˈmer-ə-kə-ˌnīz How to pronounce Americanize (audio)
Americanized; Americanizing
: to make or become American (as in customs, habits, dress, or speech)
Americanization
ə-ˌmer-ə-kə-nə-ˈzā-shən
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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