WordLens

naturalize

1 of 1verb
/ˈnætʃərəˌlaɪz/
Forms:naturalizes,naturalizing,naturalized,naturalized
1

to grant citizenship to a foreigner

C2
  • He was naturalized after passing the citizenship exam.
  • The government decided to naturalize several refugees who had lived in the country for over five years.
  • The state moves to naturalize eligible residents after they complete the required process.
  • Parliament passed a bill to naturalize hundreds of immigrants this year.
  • The government announced plans to naturalize children born abroad to citizen parents.
Antonyms:
denaturalize
2

to make something more natural or lifelike

  • The artist naturalized the portrait with subtle shading.
  • The architect naturalized the garden design to blend with the surroundings.
  • She naturalizes the puppet's movements to appear realistic.
  • The animator naturalized the characters' expressions.
  • The designer naturalized the sculpture by adding organic textures.
Antonyms:
denaturalize
3

to adapt someone or something to a new place

  • The settlers were naturalized to life in the new colony.
  • The program helps students naturalize to a different culture.
  • He struggled to naturalize to the cold climate.
  • The organization assists refugees to naturalize to urban life.
  • She naturalized to the new work environment within weeks.
4

to adapt a plant, animal, or land to a new environment

  • The gardener naturalized the tulips in the wildflower meadow.
  • They attempted to naturalize the deer population in the new wildlife reserve.
  • Botanists naturalized the foreign species to the botanical garden.
  • The land was naturalized to support native vegetation.
  • They naturalized the crops to survive in arid conditions.
Synonyms:
cultivatetamedomesticate
5

to explain something in terms of natural laws or processes

  • The philosopher naturalized moral behavior in terms of evolutionary psychology.
  • Scientists naturalized the phenomenon through reference to physics.
  • He naturalized human emotions as responses to environmental stimuli.
  • The study naturalized complex social behaviors to biological mechanisms.
  • Scholars naturalized myths to natural explanations.