The legal process by which a person who was born in one country becomes a citizen of another country. It can also mean the process of a plant or animal becoming established in a new environment.
From 'naturalize' + '-ation', from Middle French 'naturaliser' and Late Latin 'naturalizare' meaning 'to make natural or native'. Over time it shifted from making something 'natural' to making someone a 'legal native' of a country.
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