hospitalize: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to formal, used in medical, administrative, and everyday contexts when discussing serious health matters.
Quick answer
What does “hospitalize” mean?
to admit or place someone in a hospital for medical treatment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to admit or place someone in a hospital for medical treatment
Used when someone requires formal, in-patient medical care at a hospital facility. It implies a serious enough condition to warrant admission rather than outpatient treatment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Spelling: both use 'hospitalize'. Usage frequency: Slightly more common in American English news and administrative contexts.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties. In British English, 'taken to hospital' or 'admitted to hospital' are very common alternatives in speech.
Frequency
The verb is standard in both, but British English may show a slight preference for phrasal alternatives in informal speech.
Grammar
How to Use “hospitalize” in a Sentence
[Agent] hospitalized [Patient][Patient] was hospitalized for/with [Reason]It became necessary to hospitalize [Patient]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hospitalize” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The doctors decided to hospitalise him for further tests.
- If her fever doesn't break, we may have to hospitalise her.
American English
- The doctors decided to hospitalize him for further tests.
- If her fever doesn't break, we may have to hospitalize her.
adverb
British English
- [Not commonly used as an adverb from 'hospitalise']
American English
- [Not commonly used as an adverb from 'hospitalize']
adjective
British English
- The hospitalised patient required constant monitoring.
- She had a lengthy hospitalised stay.
American English
- The hospitalized patient required constant monitoring.
- She had a lengthy hospitalized stay.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In HR contexts regarding employee sick leave: 'The accident will hospitalize him for at least two weeks.'
Academic
In medical or public health research: 'The study tracked patients who were hospitalized for pneumonia.'
Everyday
Informing others about a health event: 'She fell and broke her hip, so they had to hospitalize her.'
Technical
In clinical notes: 'Due to unstable vitals, decision made to hospitalize the patient for observation.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hospitalize”
- Using active voice incorrectly when patient is subject: '*He hospitalized* after the crash' (incorrect) vs. 'He *was hospitalized*' (correct).
- Confusing with 'go to the hospital' (which implies the action, not the formal admission).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, yes. It implies the condition is serious enough to require admission for overnight stay and formal treatment, not just a visit to the emergency room or outpatient clinic.
No, not if 'he' is the patient. The patient is the object. You must use the passive voice: 'He *was* hospitalized' or make an institution/doctor the subject: 'The doctors hospitalized him.'
Hospitalization (UK also: Hospitalisation).
They are very close synonyms. 'Hospitalize' is a single, more formal verb. 'Admit to hospital' is a phrasal alternative more common in UK informal speech. 'Hospitalize' emphasizes the action of placing in a hospital system.
to admit or place someone in a hospital for medical treatment.
Hospitalize is usually neutral to formal, used in medical, administrative, and everyday contexts when discussing serious health matters. in register.
Hospitalize: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɒs.pɪ.təl.aɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɑː.spɪ.t̬əl.aɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[none directly with 'hospitalize']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: HOSPITAL-IZE. To make someone go into a hospital. Link the '-ize' suffix to 'make' or 'become'.
Conceptual Metaphor
HOSPITAL AS A CONTAINER (The patient is put *into* the hospital system).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'hospitalize' correctly?