What does naturalise mean?
Naturalise is chiefly a British verb meaning to make someone a citizen of a country, usually by granting citizenship or enabling someone to obtain it. In this legal and civic sense, it carries the idea of formally bringing someone within a national community. The verb can also refer to adapting a foreign word, expression, or practice so that it conforms to a native language or environment. For example, a loanword may be naturalised through changes in spelling, pronunciation, or grammar. These uses give the word a broader sense of making something familiar, accepted, or native. Naturalise is related to the noun naturalisation, meaning the process or status of becoming a citizen, and to the adjective naturalised. The American spelling is naturalize, but both forms can refer to the same legal, linguistic, or figurative processes.
verbTo make someone a citizen of a country, especially by granting or granting the right to acquire citizenship. It can also mean to make something conform to a native language, environment, or way of doing things.
- To make someone a citizen of a country, or to allow someone to acquire citizenship.
- To make a foreign word or expression fit the spelling, pronunciation, or grammatical pattern of a native language.
- To make something seem natural, familiar, or suited to a particular environment.
"The programme helps immigrants naturalise as British citizens."
"She was naturalised as a Canadian citizen in 1998."
"The loanword was naturalised by changing its spelling to match the host language."
To naturalise is to give someone a new home in the language and life of a country.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does naturalise come from?
Naturalise is formed in English from nature, a word that comes through Old French from Latin natura, meaning “birth,” “origin,” or “character.” The suffix -ise indicates the action or process of making something natural, native, or conform to accepted conditions. The verb is closely related in meaning and formation to words such as natural, naturalist, and naturally, which also reflect the Latin root.
Related word forms
How naturalise is actually used
The spelling naturalise is standard in British English and common in other Commonwealth varieties; American English generally uses naturalize. The word is especially common in legal and immigration contexts, while its linguistic and figurative uses are more specialised.
Easily confused with naturalise
Naturalise is the usual British spelling, while naturalize is the usual American spelling; both can have the same meanings.