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.
As the group of masked vigilantes approached, several members beat Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was hospitalized for her injuries. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Muertos Fest will pay tribute to Augie Meyers On Thursday, the Tejano Nation website, citing Spanish-language entertainment media, posted that Ayala reportedly had been hospitalized. — Jim Kiest, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 Others, like Vincent, who was hospitalized for smoke inhalation, face uncertainty. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026 Two other victims, a student and a teacher, were hospitalized with critical injuries. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hospitalize

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