nationalize
verb
na·tion·al·ize
ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-ˌlīz 
nationalized; nationalizing
1
: to give a national character to
2
: to invest control or ownership of in the national government
Examples of nationalize in a Sentence
The government nationalized the health-care system in the mid-1950s.
nationalizing the country's oil supply
Recent Examples on the Web
These compete with the franchised operators, now being nationalized, which hold contracts with the government to run services.
—
Ian King, CNBC, 9 July 2025
Politics have become increasingly nationalized, with voters paying more attention to federal government issues than to local ones — and viewing local candidates primarily through the lens of their national party’s platforms, Witt said.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 6 June 2025
Iran’s leader nationalized oil, threatening Western markets.
—Sharyl Attkisson, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025
This was the fantasy in 1953, when the CIA and the British intelligence overthrew Mohammad Mossadegh, Iran’s prime minister who had nationalized the country’s oil, and delivered Iran to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s autocratic rule.
—Narges Bajoghli, Time, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalize
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Ian King, CNBC, 9 July 2025
Politics have become increasingly nationalized, with voters paying more attention to federal government issues than to local ones — and viewing local candidates primarily through the lens of their national party’s platforms, Witt said.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 6 June 2025
Iran’s leader nationalized oil, threatening Western markets.
—Sharyl Attkisson, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025
This was the fantasy in 1953, when the CIA and the British intelligence overthrew Mohammad Mossadegh, Iran’s prime minister who had nationalized the country’s oil, and delivered Iran to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s autocratic rule.
—Narges Bajoghli, Time, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalize
Cite this Entry
“Nationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalize. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nationalize
verb
na·tion·al·ize
ˈnash-nəl-ˌīz
-ən-ᵊl-
nationalized; nationalizing
1
: to make national
2
: to remove from private ownership and place under government control
nationalize railroads
Legal Definition
nationalize
transitive verb
na·tion·al·ize
ˈna-shə-nə-ˌlīz
nationalized; nationalizing
: to invest control or ownership of in the national government
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