hospitalize

verb

hos·​pi·​tal·​ize ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-tə-ˌlīz How to pronounce hospitalize (audio)
hospitalized; hospitalizing

transitive verb

: to place in a hospital as a patient

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.
Miller was hospitalized that same day while her three surviving children were sent to live with relatives. Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025 An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that hospitalized 90 people and killed seven others has ended, according to the New York City Health Department. Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025 Lukas died June 28, at age 89, after being hospitalized from a blood infection and placed on hospice. Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2025 Prosecutors say Hopson got angry because someone was dancing with his girlfriend at the party, pulled out a knife, and went on a bloody rampage that ended with four victims hospitalized — two of whom died. Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hospitalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hospitalize. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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 noun

Medical Definition

hospitalize

transitive verb
hos·​pi·​tal·​ize
variants or chiefly British hospitalise
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 treatmentThe Journal of the American Medical Association

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