naturalization
noun
nat·u·ral·i·za·tion
ˌna-ch(ə-)rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 
plural naturalizations
: the act or process of naturalizing : the state of being naturalized: such as
a
: the course of action undertaken to become a citizen of a country other than the country where one was born
I complete the application for naturalization, wondering whether I know enough American history and government, and whether I could be disqualified for not knowing all the unmemorable lines of Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner."—
Judy Ray
Judy Ray
b
of a non-native plant or animal
: the process of becoming or the state of being established in the wild so that growth and reproduction is possible without human intervention
This phenomenon follows the typical pattern of invading plant and animal species, the gradual process of naturalization by which ecological balance tends to reassert.—John Eastman
John EastmanExamples of naturalization in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New Arizonans arrive every day — including on Thursday, when about 150 people from more than 45 countries became American citizens during a naturalization ceremony in Phoenix.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2024
The League of Women Voters attends most naturalization ceremonies to make the registration process easy.
—Nadia Scharf, The Indianapolis Star, 4 July 2024
The country’s naturalization exam will now include a number of new questions, according to a statement from the interior ministry.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 June 2024
In his second term, Modi summarily scrapped the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir and passed a citizenship law that pointedly excludes Muslims from three neighboring countries from the benefits of fast-track naturalization.
—Sadanand Dhume, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021
See all Example Sentences for naturalization 
Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2024
The League of Women Voters attends most naturalization ceremonies to make the registration process easy.
—Nadia Scharf, The Indianapolis Star, 4 July 2024
The country’s naturalization exam will now include a number of new questions, according to a statement from the interior ministry.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 June 2024
In his second term, Modi summarily scrapped the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir and passed a citizenship law that pointedly excludes Muslims from three neighboring countries from the benefits of fast-track naturalization.
—Sadanand Dhume, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021
See all Example Sentences for naturalization
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'naturalization.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Naturalization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalization. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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