v. [f. URBANE or URBAN a. + -IZE, or (in sense 2) ad. F. urbaniser (1873). Cf. Pg. urbanisar in sense 1.]
1. trans. To render urbane or civil; to make more refined or polished.
1642. Howell, For. Trav. (Arb.), 14. Those more refined Nations, whom Learning and Knowledge did first Vrbanize and polish.
1785. Hist. & Antiq. York, II. 2. In order to cultivate a better Understanding of human Nature amongst them, and urbanize their savage Disposition.
2. To make of an urban character; to convert or transform into a city.
Freq. in journalistic use since c. 1900.
1884. [see the ppl. a.].
1888. Boston (Mass.) Jrnl., 4 Feb., 2/3. It is impossible to urbanize the country.
Hence Urbanized ppl. a.
Also, in recent use (1923), urbanizing ppl. a.
1884. Western Morn. News, 17 July, 4/5. The Government will … then appeal to the urbanised counties.
1926. Baltimore Sun, 18 April, 120/1. Situated as it is beyond the last fringe of Baltimore city, too far out to have been absorbed as yet by the widening of her boundaries, but not far enough to have escaped her insidious, urbanizing influence, is the village of Cantonsville.
