Standard Lemma guide

nominalize

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈnɒmɪnəlaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈnɑmənəlaɪz/

1

verb

Meaning 1

To use as or change into a noun, often by affixing a morpheme.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make nominalistic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1nómn̥ Proto-Italic *nōmn̥ Latin nōmen Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin nōminālisder. Middle English nominalle English nominal Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English nominalize From nominal + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: nominalitzar — to use as or change into a noun
  • Chinese Mandarin: 名詞化 /名词化 (míngcíhuà) — to use as or change into a noun
  • French: nominaliser — to use as or change into a noun
  • Galician: nominalizar — to use as or change into a noun
  • German: nominalisieren — to use as or change into a noun
  • Greek: ουσιαστικοποιώ (ousiastikopoió) — to use as or change into a noun
  • Hungarian: főnevet képez — to use as or change into a noun
  • Hungarian: főnévként használ — to use as or change into a noun
  • Italian: nominalizzare — to use as or change into a noun
  • Japanese: 名詞化する (meishika suru) — to use as or change into a noun
  • Mongolian: нэрших (neršix) — to use as or change into a noun
  • Mongolian: ᠨᠡᠷᠡᠰᠢᠬᠦ (neresikü) — to use as or change into a noun
  • Polish: nominalizować — to use as or change into a noun
  • Polish: znominalizować — to use as or change into a noun
  • Portuguese: nominalizar — to use as or change into a noun
  • Spanish: nominalizar — to use as or change into a noun
  • Swedish: substantivera — to use as or change into a noun
  • Turkish: adlaştırmak — to use as or change into a noun