citify: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, slightly archaic
Quick answer
What does “citify” mean?
To make or become like a city dweller in manners, appearance, or attitudes.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To make or become like a city dweller in manners, appearance, or attitudes; to urbanize.
To give someone or something the characteristics associated with city life, often implying a loss of rustic simplicity or naturalness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common in American English, but understood in British English. In the UK, 'urbanise' (UK) / 'urbanize' (US) is the more standard, neutral term.
Connotations
Often negative or humorous in both varieties, implying a loss of authenticity.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but slightly higher historical usage in American English describing the influence of cities on rural areas.
Grammar
How to Use “citify” in a Sentence
[Verb] + [Direct Object: person/place]Become + [Adjective: citified]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “citify” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The new shopping centre rather citified the old market town.
- He returned from university utterly citified, with new tastes in coffee and art.
American English
- The developers are trying to citify the whole lakeside district with condos and bistros.
- Don't let them citify you with all their fancy ways.
adverb
British English
- (Not standardly used as an adverb)
American English
- (Not standardly used as an adverb)
adjective
British English
- His citified clothes looked out of place at the country fair.
- She had a somewhat citified air about her.
American English
- He wore a citified suit to the ranch barbecue.
- Their citified palates couldn't appreciate simple campfire cooking.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in critiques of branding: 'The rebranding campaign risked citifying the folksy appeal of the product.'
Academic
Very rare. Found in historical/sociological texts on urbanization.
Everyday
Informal, often humorous or critical: 'Ever since she moved to London, she's become completely citified.'
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “citify”
- Using it as a noun (e.g., 'the citify of the area'). It is only a verb/adjective (citified).
- Confusing it with 'beautify' or 'simplify'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is relatively uncommon and belongs to an informal, sometimes humorous register. The more standard term is 'urbanize'.
Rarely. Its connotations are usually neutral-to-negative, implying a loss of rustic charm or natural simplicity. A positive spin might be 'sophisticate,' but that's not the core meaning of 'citify.'
The adjective form is 'citified' (e.g., 'a citified attitude').
'Urbanize' is a standard, neutral term for making an area more like a city in infrastructure and density. 'Citify' is informal and focuses more on the cultural, behavioral, or stylistic aspects of becoming like a city dweller.
To make or become like a city dweller in manners, appearance, or attitudes.
Citify is usually informal, slightly archaic in register.
Citify: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsɪt.ɪ.faɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsɪt̬.ə.faɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[get/be] citified”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CITY-fy' – to turn into or adopt the ways of a CITY.
Conceptual Metaphor
URBAN LIFE IS A FORCE THAT TRANSFORMS (often negatively: A POLLUTING/CORRUPTING FORCE).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'citify' CORRECTLY?