romanize

verb

ro·​man·​ize ˈrō-mə-ˌnīz How to pronounce romanize (audio)
romanized; romanizing

transitive verb

1
often capitalized : to make Roman in character
2
: to write or print (something, such as a language) in the Latin alphabet
romanize Chinese
3
capitalized
a
: to convert to Roman Catholicism
b
: to give a Roman Catholic character to
romanization noun often capitalized

Examples of romanize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The most common method used pinyin, the system of romanized spelling for Mandarin that Chinese students learn in school. Mara Hvistendahl, Wired, 18 May 2020 Goo, romanized by the star as Koo and also known professionally as GUHARA, was one of the K-pop world’s most prominent female stars and also popular in Japan after rising to fame as part of girl group KARA. Tamar Herman, Billboard, 24 Nov. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of romanize was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near romanize

Cite this Entry

“Romanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/romanize. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!