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.
One pedestrian died and another was hospitalized Friday evening after they were struck by a freight train in an industrial area of Sacramento. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Of the 42 people injured, seven have been hospitalized, according to Tkachenko, confirming that medical services are also at the scene of the strike. — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 One man died and a woman was hospitalized after a single-vehicle rollover crash in rural Jackson County this week, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reports. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 The area where her son is hospitalized is the epicenter of an expanding outbreak of measles, the world’s most contagious infection. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 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

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