hospitalize

verb

hos·​pi·​tal·​ize ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-tə-ˌlīz How to pronounce hospitalize (audio)
hospitalized; hospitalizing
Synonyms of hospitalizenext

transitive verb

: to place in a hospital as a patient
hospitalization
ˌhä-(ˌ)spi-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce hospitalize (audio)
noun

Examples of hospitalize in a Sentence

The doctor wants to hospitalize her for a few days so that he can run some tests.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Three adults were hospitalized with severe injuries; one, a woman in her 20s, later died. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 5 July 2026 At least 20 of those have been hospitalized, according to the CDC. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 The driver, an adult man, was hospitalized with critical injuries, Metro Fire Capt. — Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026 Paul Pelosi suffered a skull fracture and other serious injuries and was hospitalized following the assault. — James Ward, USA Today, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hospitalize

Word History

Etymology

hospital + -ize

First Known Use

circa 1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hospitalize was circa 1899

Rhymes for hospitalize

See All Rhymes for hospitalize

Browse Nearby Words

hospitality suite
hospitalize
Hospitaller
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hospitalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hospitalize. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hospitalize

verb
hos·​pi·​tal·​ize ˈhäs-ˌpit-ᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce hospitalize (audio)
hospitalized; hospitalizing
: to place in a hospital as a patient
hospitalization
ˌhäs-ˌpit-ᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce hospitalize (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

hospitalize

transitive verb
hos·​pi·​tal·​ize
variants or chiefly British hospitalise
ˈhäs-(ˌ)pit-ᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce hospitalize (audio) häs-ˈpit-ᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce hospitalize (audio)
hospitalized or chiefly British hospitalised; hospitalizing or chiefly British hospitalising
: to place in a hospital as a patient
the child was hospitalized at once for diagnosis and treatment—The Journal of the American Medical Association

More from Merriam-Webster on hospitalize

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hospitalize

Nglish: Translation of hospitalize for Spanish Speakers

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