1. the evolutionary process by which human beings developed from earlier primate ancestors
Usage: formal; scientific
2. the process of becoming human or acquiring human characteristics, qualities, or behavior
Usage: formal; philosophical

Examples

• Scientists study hominization by examining fossil records and genetic evidence.
• The hominization process took millions of years and involved significant changes in brain size and tool use.
• Anthropologists debate the timeline and mechanisms of hominization.
• Language development was a crucial stage in human hominization.
• The transition from bipedalism to complex cognition marks key phases of hominization.