Germanize

Ger·man·ize
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US/ˈd͡ʒɝmənaɪz/UK/ˈdʒɜːmənaɪz/

verb

To give a German character to (something).

“to Germanize a province, a language, or a society”

Scrabble 21
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Meanings

verbGermanize (third-person singular simple present Germanizes, present participle Germanizing, simple past and past participle Germanized)

present singular third person Germanizes · participle present Germanizing · participle past Germanized · past Germanized · alternative Germanise

  1. transitiveTo give a German character to (something).

    to Germanize a province, a language, or a society

    2 more examples

    Why should Pennsylvania […] become a Colony of aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us, instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our language or customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion?

    1751, Benjamin Franklin, Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc.

    In the preceding centuries the Ashkenazic Synagogue song had been Germanized to a degree that jeopardized not only its distinctive Jewishness but its very existence.

    1929, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its Historical Development, page 183
  2. intransitiveTo adopt German customs or culture.

Origin

From German + -ize.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أَلْمَنَ
  • أَلْمَنَ (ʔalmana)make more German
Czech germanizovat, poněmčovat
  • germanizovatmake more German
  • poněmčovatmake more German
  • poněmčitmake more German
Danish fortyske, germanisere
  • fortyskemake more German
  • germaniseremake more German
Dutch verduitsen
  • verduitsenmake more German
Esperanto germanigi
  • germanigimake more German
Finnish saksalaistaa
  • saksalaistaamake more German
French germaniser
  • germanisermake more German
German eindeutschen, germanisieren
  • eindeutschenmake more German
  • germanisierenmake more German
Italian germanizzare
  • germanizzaremake more German
Malay menjermankan
  • menjermankanmake more German
Polish germanizować, niemczyć
  • germanizowaćmake more German
  • niemczyćmake more German
  • zniemczaćmake more German
Romanian germaniza
  • germanizamake more German
Slovak germanizovať
  • germanizovaťmake more German
Swedish förtyska
  • förtyskamake more German
Turkish Almanlaştırmak
  • Almanlaştırmakmake more German
Vietnamese Đức hóa, Đức hoá
  • Đức hóamake more German
  • Đức hoámake more German
Cite this entry
APA

Germanize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Germanize

MLA

“Germanize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Germanize. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Germanize,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Germanize.

Source: Germanize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.